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YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


EDWARD STRATEMEYER’S BOOKS 


©IS ©lorg Series 


Six Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25. 


UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA. 

A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA. 
FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS. 


UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES 
THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE. 
UNDER MacARTHUR IN LUZON. - 


Stratemcger Popular Series 


Ten Volumes. Cloth. 

THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPITFIRE. 
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TRUE TO HIMSELF. 

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OLIVER BRIGHT'S SEARCH. 


Price per volume $1.00. 

TO ALASKA FOR GOLD. 

THE YOUNG AUCTIONEER. 
BOUND TO BEAN ELECTRICIAN. 
SHORTHAND TOM, THE REPORTER. 
FIGHTING FOR HIS OWN. 


Illustrated. 


Mar anti Client ure Stories 

Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25. 

ON TO PEKIN. BETWEEN BOER AND BRITON. 

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Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25. 

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AMERICAN BOYS' LIFE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 

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Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25. 

WITH WASHINGTON IN THE WEST. AT THE FALL OF MONTREAL. 
MARCHING ON NIAGARA. ON THE TRAIL OF PONTIAC. 

Pan^nteriean Series 

Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.25. 

LOST ON THE ORINOCO. YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE ISTHMUS. 

THE YOUNG VOLCANO EXPLORERS. 

YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON. 

Creat American Entmstrics Series 

Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume $1.00, net. 

TWO YOUNG LUMBERMEN. 


JOE. THE SURVEYOR. Price, $1.00. 
LARRY, THE WANDERER. Price , $1.00, 






















In quick alarm the jaguar turned. — Pane 321. 






pan^mertcan Series f 

YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


OR 


AMERICAN BOYS IN BRAZIL 


BY 

EDWARD STRATEMEYER 

Author of “ Two Young Lumbermen,” “ American Boys’ Life of William 
McKinley,” “ Old Glory Series,” “ Ship and Shore Series,” 

“ Colonial Series,” “ Working Upward Series,” etc. 


ILLUSTRATED BY A. B. SHUTE 



BOSTON 

LEE AND SHEPARD 
i 9 ° 4 


Published April, 1904 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

MAP 28 1904 

Cepyrighi Entry 

M-O/o. 1 4 , -/cf 0 4. 

CUSS CL XXo Nd, j 

S 1*9 ^ 9 

COPY A. 1 


Copyright , 1904, by Lee and Shepard 


.4// rights reserved 


Young Explorers of the Amazon 


IFiorwooli press 
Berwick & Smith Co. 
Norwood, Mass. 

U. S. A. 



PREFACE 

“ Young Explorers of the Amazon ” is a 
complete story in itself, but forms the fourth volume 
of a line known by the general title of “ Pan-Ameri- 
can Series.” 

My object in writing this series, as already men- 
tioned in previous volumes, was to acquaint my 
young readers with some of the sights to be seen in 
the three Americas, especially such portions as lie 
outside of the United States. In the first volume, 
entitled “ Lost on the Orinoco/’ a trip not devoid 
of adventure was made to Venezuela, where the five 
young explorers, in company with their tutor, who 
is also something of a hunter, saw much to interest 
and instruct them. In the second volume, called 
“ The Young Volcano Explorers,” the travelers 
journeyed to Cuba, Porto Rico, and other islands 
of the West Indies, and saw something of the tre- 
mendous volcanic eruptions at Martinique and St. 
Vincent. The third volume, “ Young Explorers of 
the Isthmus,” took the party to Central America, 
iii 


IV 


PREFACE 


where they landed at Greytown and journeyed 
through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and that portion of 
Colombia known as the Isthmus of Panama. Sight- 
seeing proved as novel here as elsewhere, and the 
young tourists took a hand at unraveling a most 
unusual mystery. 

In the present volume the scene is shifted to 
Brazil, that immense republic of South America, 
with its three millions of square miles of territory, 
its twenty States and one Federal District, and its 
eighteen millions of people. The young explorers 
land at Rio de Janeiro, the principal city, and, after 
visiting many points of interest, including the 
botanical gardens and public buildings, make side 
trips to Petropolis, Santos, Sao Paulo, and other 
points. From Santos they journey up the coast 
again, stopping at Bahia, Pernambuco, Natal, and 
Para. From this latter city they proceed up the 
mighty Amazon, the largest river in the world, 
noting the rubber and other industries, and going 
out more than once into the trackless tropical forests 
after the unlimited game for which this region is so 
well known. 

Information regarding Brazil, especially touching 
area and population and real values of some indus- 


PREFACE 


V 


tries, is rather indefinite, yet in penning this volume 
the author has tried to be as accurate as possible in 
statements made. All figures given are taken from 
the latest and best authorities, including the reports 
of government officials and of those financially in- 
terested in the coffee, rubber, cattle, and other in- 
dustries. 

Once more let me thank my many young friends 
for the interest they have shown in my previous 
books. May the volume now before them fulfill 
their every reasonable expectation. 

Edward Stratemeyer, 


February i , 1904, 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Bound for Brazil ' i 

II. Days on the Ocean 12 

III. A Storm, and What Followed ... 22 

IV. Introducing J. Langnack Green ... 32 

V. Something about Brazil 42 

VI. Hockley Speaks His Mind ... .52 

VII. Sightseeing in Rio de Janeiro ... 62 

VIII. The Flag and the Mob 73 

IX. The Professor Speaks His Mind ... 83 

X. A Fresh Start All Around .... 93 

XI. In Which Hockley Turns Hero . . . 104 

XII. A Feast and an Interruption . . . .115 

XIII. On the Road from Santos to Sao Paulo . 126 

XIV. A Brazilian and His Bloodhounds . . .136 

XV. On a Brazilian Cattle Ranch . . .147 

XVI. The Bull and the Hat 158 

XVII. A Church Holiday in Brazil . . . .168 

XVIII. On the Way to Bahia 179 

XIX. News of an Old Enemy 189 

XX. Parkie the Monkey 200 

vii 


viii CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XXI. A Brief Stop at Pernambuco . . . 210 

XXII. About Birds, Beasts, Butterflies, and Other 

Things 221 

XXIII. The Stop-qff at Para 232 

XXIV. Up the Amazon at Last 243 

XXV. About Rubber and Rubber Making . . 253 

XXVI. The Land of the Great Forest . . . 263 

XXVII. Trumpeters, and Some Monkeys . . . 273 

XXVIII. What Was Found at the Indian Village . 284 

XXIX. Strange Visitors at Midnight . . . 295 

XXX. An Owl and a Turtle 305 

XXXI. The Fight with the Jaguar . . . .315 

XXXII. An Unexpected Arrival 326 

XXXIII. End of the Journey — Farewell . . . 337 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


In quick alarm the jaguar turned. {Frontispiece) 
Mark and Darry were surprised to see a 

small steamer close by 

“ What do you mean by insulting our flag ?” 

demanded the officer 

“ I’m coming, Sam. . . . Don’t move yet” . 
Down went his massive head, and he charged 

upon the boy 

“ Hullo, here is the baby, as sure as you are 

born ! ” cried Drank 

By this smoking and flaring affair they sur- 
veyed the scene before them 

Around came the creature’s tail and hit the 
canoe’s side 


Page 

321 

31 

79 

112 

161 

210 

254 

309 























YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE 
AMAZON 


CHAPTER I 

BOUND FOR BRAZIL 

“ Well, Mark, how did you make out with those 
last pictures you took on the Isthmus ? ” 

“ Five out of the six are very good, Frank. The 
one of the railroad station at Colon is particularly 
fine. The other one is so fogged up that it amounts 
to nothing.” 

“ Which one was that? ” questioned a third youth 
of the group on the steamer deck. 

“ That United States warship that was at anchor 
in the harbor when we left, Darry. It’s too bad the 
picture was spoiled, but an amateur photographer 
can’t expect to have every plate turn out perfect. 
Besides, it’s hard work to develop the plates in this 
hot weather.” 

“ Phew ! Don’t mention the weather ! ” puffed a 


2 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


fourth lad. “ I’m about half melted. You couldn’t 
hire me to go into a shut-up dark room to develop 
pictures for all the photos in the world.” 

At this speech Mark Robertson gave a short 
laugh. 

“ Everybody to his taste, Sam,” he returned. 
“ You wouldn’t bother with pictures, but when we 
were over in Nicaragua who was it went out in the 
sizzling sunshine to knock off geological specimens 
from the mountain side ? ” 

“ Yes, and who chased a couple of big butterflies 
half a mile when the mercury was a hundred and 
ten?” put in Frank Newton. “ Mark is right: 
everybody to his taste. Now as for me, in such 
weather as this, I’d just as lief sit here in the shade 
and do nothing.” 

“ Frank is getting fat and lazy,” came with a 
laugh from Darry Crane. “ Now, I must confess 
that sitting still never agreed with me. I ” 

“ Oh, we all know what you like,” interrupted 
Frank. “ Sit on some wild harum-scarum of a 
horse and go riding across the country like mad. 
I believe if you could have persuaded the professor 
to take us from the Isthmus to Brazil on horseback 
instead of by steamer you would have done so.” 


BOUND FOR BRAZIL 


3 


“ And if so, wouldn’t it have been a glorious trip, 
— over the hills and mountains, and across the 
pampas , and over all sorts of rivers and rocky tor- 
rents-, and through all kinds of queer settlements? 
Here on shipboard what do you see? Not much 
outside of sky and water.” 

“ But it’s the easiest and quickest way to get to 
where we want to go,” came from Sam Winthrop. 
“ And I fancy we’ll get horseback riding enough 
after we reach Brazil. Considering all the excite- 
ment we had on the Isthmus this rest on shipboard 
will do us good.” 

“ Say, we certainly did have lots of things happen 
while we were in Central America and on the Isth- 
mus ! ” exclaimed Mark, as he threw himself into a 
steamer chair. “ Almost enough for a story book, 
if we could get somebody to write it up.” 

“ That is true,” returned Darry. “ But those 
adventures weren’t a patch to what we went through 
when those volcanoes at Martinique and St. Vincent 
broke loose. I’ll never forget that as long as I 
live ! ” And he gave a shiver. 

“ None of us ever will,” came from Sam. “ By 
the way, where is Hockley? ” he went on. 

“ He’s asleep in his stateroom,” answered Mark. 


4 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“ I heard him snoring like a sawmill when I came 
past his door.” 

“ I don’t think he cares much for this trip to 
Brazil.” 

“ Hockley never cares for anything unless he pro- 
poses it himself,” put in Frank. “ He wants to 
run this party.” 

“ He had his heart set on going down to Peru 
after we left Panama,” said Mark. “ He met some 
mining people in Panama, and they told him about 
some rich gold mines, and he wanted to visit them.” 

“ I suppose he thought he could pick up a few 
nuggets,” said Sam, with a laugh. “ Jake loves 
money even if his folks are rich.” 

“ If Jake was allowed to go his own way he’d get 
himself into all sorts of trouble,” put in Darry. 
“ Now I like fun — you all know that — but I don’t 
believe in being fast, and he does. We ” 

“ Hold on, Darry,” interrupted Mark good- 
naturedly. “ You know we promised long ago to 
bury the hatchet. Give Glummy a chance. He’s 
been a pretty decent sort of a fellow since we came 
to terms some weeks ago.” 

“ But he is getting ready to break out again, 
Mark. I can see it in his eyes. Yesterday, at the 


BOUND FOR BRAZIL 


5 


supper table, he was as bilious as he could be when 
I spoke to him, and he acted the same way toward 
Frank.” 

“ Yes, I noticed that,” put in Frank. “ But I 
thought it was because he might be getting seasick. 
As much as we have sailed around, he doesn’t seem 
to be able to get over the tossing and pitching of the 
ship.” 

“ If he breaks out again he’ll have to keep his 
distance,” came from Sam. “ I voted to bury the 
hatchet the same as the rest, but I am not going to 
stand by and see Hockley dig it up every time he 
thinks fit to do so. I’ll give him another chance, 
and that is all I will give him.” 

“ Right you are, Sam,” cried Darry. “ Glummy 
needn’t think because ” 

“ Hush ! here comes the professor ! ” whispered 
Mark. “ Don’t let him know that we have been talk- 
ing about Hockley again.” And then the conversa- 
tion was changed to a more commonplace subject. 

The boys in the group on the steamer deck were 
four in number. The oldest was Mark Robertson, 
who was a great lover of the camera, and who had 
taken many creditable pictures. Mark was seven- 
teen, tall and well- formed, and something of a leader 


6 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


and adviser. He was the son of a rich New York 
dry-goods importer, and when at home lived on the 
fashionable part of Madison Avenue in the metrop- 
olis. 

Across from Mark lived Frank Newton, his chum, 
the son of a banker, also well-to-do. Frank was a 
good-looking boy and well liked by all of the others. 
He now sat beside Mark, and the arm of each was 
over the other’s shoulder, showing the affection be- 
tween the pair. 

The third lad of the group was Samuel Winthrop, 
often called “ Beans,” because he came from Boston. 
Sam was the only son of a wealthy widow of the 
Back Bay district, a studious youth, and one who 
loved to dabble in geology and make all sorts of col- 
lections of specimens. But Sam, although the most 
learned of all of the crowd, was very careful how 
he “ aired his knowledge,” so this did not militate 
against him in the eyes of the others. 

The fourth boy of the number was Dartworth 
Crane, always called Darry for short. He was the 
favored offspring of a successful Chicago cattle- 
dealer, and had spent some of his earlier years on 
a ranch in Montana. Darry was truly an “ out- 
door ” boy, and liked nothing better than hunting, 


BOUND FOR BRAZIL 


7 


fishing, and exploring. He could ride any kind of 
a horse or burro, with or without a saddle, and his 
escapades in this particular would fill a volume in 
themselves. 

Such were the four, “ the chums for life,” as 
Darry had once christened them ; bright, clever lads, 
who were willing at all times to do anything and 
everything for each other. More than once they had 
been in positions of peril, and this had helped to 
cement the bond of sympathy between them. 

There was another youth who belonged to this 
party, Jacob Hockley, already mentioned by the 
others, and now asleep in his stateroom, and “ snor- 
ing like a sawmill,” as Mark had expressed it. 
Hockley was the pampered son of a wealthy Penn- 
sylvania lumber dealer, a raw-boned youth, with a 
white, freckled face, and hair of the reddish order. 
His manner varied, at times fairly pleasant and then 
sour and morose, the latter mood having gained 
for him the nickname of “ Glummy,” or “ Jake the 
Glum.” Hockley was supplied with an almost un- 
limited amount of spending money, but even the use 
of this had not made him any stanch friends. 

“ Glummy will find out some time that money 
doesn’t count for everything,” said Frank one day. 


8 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“ And when he learns that lesson he’ll be much better 
off than he is now.” 

All of these boys had at one time attended a 
boarding academy presided over by Professor Amos 
Strong, a well-educated instructor, who had in years 
gone by been a great traveler and hunter. But a 
fire swept the academy to the ground, and while it 
was being rebuilt, under the supervision of the pro- 
fessor’s brother, it was decided that Amos Strong 
should carry out a long-cherished plan of taking 
some of his pupils on a tour of the West Indies, 
Central America, South America, and other points. 

“ I have always loved to travel and to hunt,” said 
Professor Strong candidly, “ and such a tour as 
this will put me in fine fettle for teaching when I 
return.” 

To Mark, Darry, Frank, and Sam the announce- 
ment that Jacob Hockley was to accompany them on 
the trip was an unpleasant one. But the lank youth 
had been one of the first to agree to go, and Amos 
Strong did not feel that it would be right to drop 
him. 

“ Well, under the circumstances, we’ll make the 
best of it,” Sam had said, and the others had agreed 
that this was the only thing to be done. 


BOUND FOR BRAZIL 


9 


Leaving New York, the party had journeyed by 
steamer to La Guayra, a seaport of Venezuela, and 
in the first volume of this Pan-American Series, en- 
titled “ Lost on the Orinoco,” I related many of the 
particulars of the adventures that fell to the lot of 
the young explorers while sightseeing in that South 
American republic, and while camping out and hunt- 
ing for wild animals along the upper Orinoco. 

From Venezuela the party had expected to go 
direct to Brazil, but an epidemic of fever had made 
them change their plans and move northward to the 
West Indies, on a tour of Cuba, Porto Rico, Hayti, 
and other islands. This was just previous to the 
disastrous eruption of Mont Pelee, and in the second 
book of the series, called “ The Young Volcano Ex- 
plorers/' are given the details of this terrible hol- 
ocaust which has scarcely a parallel in modern his- 
tory. All the boys were sufferers in a greater or less 
degree because of this unexpected rain of fire, and 
Hockley became so frightened that he ran away 
from the others and took a ship for Trinidad, where 
his companions afterward joined him. 

After a rest at Trinidad, which did all of the 
party a world of good, it was decided to visit 
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and other parts of Central 


10 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


America before turning southward once more. 
Passage to Greytown was procured without much 
difficulty, and in the third volume of the series, 
“ Young Explorers of the Isthmus,” we followed 
the boys through a new tour of sightseeing and ad- 
ventures that had within them a touch of mystery 
that was most unusual. During this trip Hockley 
and the others were almost open enemies, and played 
many tricks on each other. The enmity culminated 
in a fight between the tall youth and Mark, in which 
Hockley was knocked over into a pond containing 
alligators. Horrified over what had happened, 
Mark leaped in to his enemy’s assistance, and, aided 
by Frank and Sam, succeeded in getting the un- 
conscious bully to a place of safety. When Hockley 
recovered he was dumfounded to learn what had 
been done for him, and that night at the hotel he 
told the others that he wanted to “ bury the hatchet ” 
and be friends. The others agreed gladly; and for 
the time being matters passed on smoothly. 

On reaching Panama the boys and Professor 
Strong had been content to rest for over a week 
before making a move of any kind. Where to go 
next was the all-absorbing topic under discussion, 
and it was then that Hockley came out in favor of 


BOUND FOR BRAZIL 


II 


Peru, because he wanted to visit the gold mines 
located in that country. But the other boys all 
favored Brazil, with a visit to Rio de Janeiro and 
other cities, and a trip up the mighty Amazon, and 
at last Amos Strong consented, and they returned 
to Colon (sometimes called Aspinwall), to book for 
passage on some first-class steamer bound for Rio 
de Janeiro. 


CHAPTER II 


DAYS ON THE OCEAN 

During his travels of years before Professor 
Strong had paid two visits to Brazil, stopping once 
at Para, at the mouth of the Amazon, and then at 
Rio de Janeiro, commonly called Rio for short. 

“ On both occasions I sailed with a captain named 
Louis Barton — a fine fellow / 5 said the professor. 
“ His steamer was the American Queen, a craft of 
swift sailing qualities. If she is anywhere in these 
waters we shall do well to get passage on her . 55 

On arriving at Colon, the professor lost no time 
in making inquiries at one of the shipping offices, 
and to his delight learned that the American Queen 
was then in the harbor discharging part of her cargo. 
She was to sail four days later for Rio, with one or 
two short stops on the way. 

“ This is certainly pure luck / 5 he said to Mark, 
who happened to be with him. “ I’ll call on Cap- 
tain Barton without delay and see if he has room on 
his passenger list for us . 55 


12 


DAYS ON THE OCEAN 


13 


They found Captain Barton on the deck of the 
steamer. He was a bronzed old seafaring man, 
with thick black hair and a heavy beard to match. 
He gripped Professor Strong’s hand with a clasp 
of steel. 

“ Well, by the Great Dipper, if it isn’t Amos 
Strong once more ! ” he ejaculated, as he shook 
hands. “ I was thinking of you only yesterday. 
Heard in a roundabout way that you were traveling 
down here with some of your students and hoped 
I’d set eyes on you before I pulled up anchor. You 
look as natural as life and not a bit older than when 
you went down to Rio with me about — let me see — 
eight years ago, wasn’t it? ” 

“ Just that,” answered the professor. He intro- 
duced Mark. “ I haven’t forgot that trip, and I’m 
here now to see if you can take me down again, 
along with the five young gentlemen that are travel- 
ing with me. I’ve been telling them about you and 
your vessel.” 

“Want to show ’em something of Brazil, eh? 
Well, it’s a big country and well worth visiting; you 
know that as well as I do. But about passage for 

you ” The captain paused and pulled on his 

beard. " Of course you want to go first-class? ” 


14 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“ Yes.” 

“ Wish I had known it two days ago. You see 
a party of four called on me about the trip and I 
promised to keep places open for them until to-mor- 
row morning ten o’clock. If they take the state- 
rooms I won’t have but one small one left, and you, 
of course, can’t use that.” 

At this announcement Professor Strong was 
greatly disappointed. But nothing could be done, 
and he promised to come around the next day and 
see if the staterooms were taken. He was on hand 
promptly at ten o’clock. 

“ Glad to say, for your sake, that the other party 
hasn’t shown up,” said Captain Barton. “ So if you 
say the word, the rooms are yours; ” and a bargain 
for passage to Rio was made on the spot. Then the 
captain invited the professor to his cabin to smoke 
and chat over old times, while Frank, who was along, 
went back to carry the news to the others at the hotel. 

It was nearly noon, and Professor Strong was 
just leaving the American Queen ,' when a heavy-set, 
rough-looking foreigner rushed on board and up to 
Captain Barton. 

“ I will engage those staterooms you have been 
holding for me,” he said in Portuguese. 


DAYS ON THE OCEAN 


15 


“ Sorry, sir, but your time was up at ten o’ clock,” 
answered the captain, who spoke the language fairly 
well. 

“Yes, but why can I not have the rooms even 
so ? ” questioned the newcomer. 

“ Because I have just booked them to this gen- 
tleman,” and Captain Barton nodded toward Pro- 
fessor Strong. 

At this the Portuguese turned to the professor 
with a frown. It was easy to see that his general 
disposition was an overbearing one. 

“ I am sorry, but I will have to ask you to 
give the staterooms up,” he said. “ I told the 
captain he must hold them for me until I saw him 
again.” 

Instead of replying Professor Strong looked in- 
quiringly at Captain Barton. 

“ You did say that,” answered the captain 
pointedly. “ But I said I would not wait longer 
than ten o’clock. It is now five minutes to 
twelve, and the staterooms belong to this gentle- 
man.” 

At this the Portuguese, whose name was Barnabe 
Costavo, began to storm, and insisted that he was 
being cheated out of his rights. He grew so abu- 


1 6 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

sive that at last Captain Barton ordered him off 
the vessel. 

“ I will go when it pleases me,” he growled. 
“ You Yankees think you can trample a South 
American or a European under the feet like a dog, 
but I will show you differently.” 

“ You’ll leave now ! ” cried Captain Barton 
sternly, “ or else I’ll have my men put you off.” 
And then the Portuguese shuffled away, still mutter- 
ing to himself. 

“ Will he make trouble? ” asked Professor Strong. 
“ I don’t want you to get into difficulty on my ac- 
count.” 

“ Don’t you worry,” was the answer. “ I know 
my rights. The rooms are yours, and that is all 
there is to it. I wouldn’t have that man on board 
now at any price.” 

That evening Professor Strong, Frank, and Sam 
ran into Barnabe Costavo at the hotel corner. The 
Portuguese wanted to quarrel again, but the pro- 
fessor shut him off. The boys also took a hand, and 
as a consequence Barnabe Costavo became more en- 
raged than ever. 

“ You shall not cheat me out of my rights ! ” he 
cried. “ Perhaps I can do nothing here. But in 


DAYS ON THE OCEAN 


17 


Brazil it will be different. Wait and see; ” and 
then he walked away ; and that was the last they saw 
of him for the time being. 

Promptly at the time appointed the American 
Queen steamed out of the harbor of Colon and the 
long journey to Brazil was begun. The course was 
mainly eastward, through the Caribbean Sea to the 
islands of Curasao and Trinidad, and then down 
the Atlantic past Cape St. Roque to Rio. 

“ Plow many miles shall we cover to Rio ? ” asked 
Darry, on the second day out. 

“ Over five thousand,” answered the professor. 

“ My stars ! As many as that ! Then we’ve got 
the longest trip we have yet taken before us.” 

“ That is so, Dartworth. But the American 
Queen is a swift-sailing steamer, and we’ll make the 
trip in sixteen or seventeen days, including the 
two stops.” 

Curasao, a small Dutch island lying off the north 
coast of Venezuela, was soon reached, and they went 
ashore for two hours at Willemstad, which they 
had visited when first starting on their tour. 

“ How many things have happened since we were 
here, before,” observed Sam. “ Really, it seems to 
me that we have been away from home for years.” 


1 8 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Right you are,” came from Frank. “ But I 
fancy we’ll see still more before we sail for home.” 

When the island of Trinidad was reached they 
spent one whole day at Port-of-Spain, with their 
old friend Wellington Cunningham, of the Cun- 
ningham House. 

“Back again, his hit?” cried the Englishman 
heartily. “ Hi knew as ’ow you couldn’t pass me by 
without droppin’ hin on me. Hi’m bloomin’ glad 
to see you. So you are bound for Brazil at last? 
’Ope as how you ’ave a rousin’ good time there. 
Nothink like seein’ this bloomin’ world of hours, 
as I remarked when you stopped ’ere before.” And 
he made them feel more at home than they had felt 
in a month. 

“ And now hurrah for Rio ! ” cried Darry, when 
Trinidad was left once more behind. “ Rio, which 
they tell me is the stopping place for vessels from 
every quarter of the globe.” 

“ It certainly is the stopping place for a great 
many of them,” returned Professor Strong. “ And 
with good reason. The harbor is one of the finest 
to be seen anywhere.” 

The American Queen was a screw steamer of a 
different build from those they had before sailed 


DAYS ON THE OCEAN 


19 


on, and the young tourists often spent their time 
in inspecting the vessel, until they knew her thor- 
oughly from stem to stern. But after leaving Trin- 
idad every day of sailing took them closer to the 
equator, and it grew so hot that they were content 
to do little but lie around and read. It rained a good 
part of the time, but this did not cool it off, and at 
times the atmosphere was suffocating. Sam oc- 
casionally got out his collections of stones, bugs, 
and butterflies, and did what he could, with Profes- 
sor Strong’s assistance, to classify them, and Mark 
developed his pictures, and made a few prints, as al- 
ready mentioned, but soon even this was cast 
aside. 

“ I’ll tell you what I think,” said Frank, on the 
morning after the talk about Mark’s pictures and 
about Jake Hockley. “ I think we are working up 
to a heavy storm.” 

“ What’s the use of scaring us like that,” came 
from Darry, with a grin. “ You don’t know any 
more about the weather than we do.” 

“ It won’t storm at all,” put in Hockley, who was 
lolling in the easiest chair he could find on the 
deck. “ I looked at the barometer just before I 
came out and it was perfectly clear.” 


20 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“ Why, it’s been storming,” put in Mark. “ It 
rained before breakfast.” 

“ Oh, you know what I mean,” answered Hock- 
ley crossly. “ I don’t call a spatter of rain a storm.” 

“ I don’t care what the barometer said when you 
came out, Jake,” went on Frank. “ I’m sure we’ll 
have a heavy storm before midnight — I can feel it 
in my bones.” 

“Gracious! Frank’s bones have become weather 
signals ! ” cried Darry. “ Frank, you want to hang 
out a sign : ‘ Any old kind of weather foretold 

while you wait.’ You might make as much as fifty 
cents a week at it.” 

“ I’ll bet you five dollars it doesn’t storm between 
now and midnight,” said Hockley. 

“ You know I don’t bet, Jake; otherwise I’d take 
you up.” 

“ I’ll bet you a dollar it doesn’t storm between now 
and to-morrow morning,” persisted the other. 

“Didn’t I just tell you I didn’t bet? Just the 
same, you’d lose if I took you up.” 

“ Oh, pshaw, you haven’t any sand in you. 
Who’ll take me up, on one dollar or five?” And 
Hockley looked around at the others inquiringly. 

For a moment nobody spoke. 


DAYS ON THE OCEAN 


21 


“ You know that none of us bet, Jake/’ said 
Sam. “ It’s against our principles, and besides, 

the professor asked us not ” 

“ Oh, if you’re tied to the professor’s coat-tails 
let it drop by all means,” sneered Hockley. “ I only 
thought we might get a little excitement out of this 
trip — everything is so dead slow. Now if we had 

gone down to Peru ” 

“ That’s right, haul up Peru once more,” came 
from Frank, who did not fancy what had been said 
about having no “ sand,” and being “ tied to the 
professor’s coat-tails.” “ I suppose we’ll have Peru 
morning, noon, and night all the while we are in 
Brazil.” 

“ I’ll talk about Peru when I like,” growled 
Hockley, his face reddening. “ I had a right to my 
choice. But of course you were all against me — 
as you always are.” And so speaking he bounced up 
out of his chair and walked away to another part 
of the deck. 

“ That settles it,” murmured Darry, looking after 
the lank figure. “ Glummy has dug up the hatchet 
once more, and all of us had better look out for our 
scalps.” 


CHAPTER III 


A STORM, AND WHAT FOLLOWED 

Frank's prediction proved true; before the after- 
noon was half over the sky began to darken, the 
wind freshened considerably, and soon it began to 
rain in great drops. 

“ What did I tell you ! ” cried the youth, as he let 
some of the rain splash down on his hand. “ And 
this is only the start, you mark my words if it 
isn’t.” 

“ So far I haven’t heard any thunder,” returned 
Sam. “ Perhaps it won’t be more than a little rain 
and some wind.” 

But Frank shook his head and declared that a big 
storm was brewing, and when Captain Barton was 
appealed to he said the same. 

“ But you needn’t be frightened,” added the cap- 
tain. “ We have clear sailing ahead, and the Queen 
has weathered all sorts of storms for eleven years. 
If it really gets to blowing hard it will be the sailing 
craft that will catch it.” 


22 


A STORM, AND WHAT FOLLOWED 23 

“ Jake, what have you got to say about the 
weather now?” queried Frank, when he met the 
Pennsylvanian just before the evening meal. 

“ Pm not saying anything,” growled Hockley, 
and passed on without another word. 

“You don't seem to be on as good terms as you 
were with Jacob,” remarked Professor Strong, who 
heard the talk. “What is the trouble? Nothing 
serious, I hope.” 

“ No, sir, it's not serious, but ” Frank hesi- 

tated. 

“ But what, Frank? I thought you had all agreed 
to bury the hatchet and be chums ? ” The pro- 
fessor's face showed his concern, for it was the 
greatest wish of his heart to see all the lads happy 
together. 

“We did agree to that, professor. But Glummy 
— I mean Jake — he can’t stay friendly, no matter 
what you do to please him. He has the notion that 
we are all down on him.” 

“ Well, you did hold apart from him for a while.” 

“ Not after we agreed to be friends and let the 
past drop. Every one of us did all we could to 
act fair and square. But Jake gets queer notions, 
and ” Frank did not finish. 


24 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


The instructor drew a deep breath that amounted 
to almost a sigh. He knew that what Frank said 
was nearly if not quite true, and he had had his 
own troubles with Hockley more than once. He 
placed a kindly hand on Frank’s shoulder. 

“ You must try to be patient,” he said, in a lower 
tone. “ I know Jacob is inclined to have a hasty 
temper, and you must help him to control it. With 
such good times as we are having, there should be no 
ill-feeling anywhere.” 

“ Well, Fm certain I shan’t start a row,” an- 
swered Frank; and there the subject was dropped. 

So far the meals on board of the steamer had been 
uneventful, but supper that night proved lively, with 
the American Queen rolling and pitching in the 
teeth of the storm, that was steadily increasing in 
violence. 

“ Fm glad we haven’t got soup,” observed Mark, 
as he held fast to the edge of the table. “ I think 
we’d have more on the outside than on the inside.” 

“ There goes my potato!” cried Frank, as the 
article mentioned rolled across the table and landed 
in Professor Strong’s lap. “ Professor, if you don’t 
want that I’ll take it back.” 

The professor lifted the potato and started to re- 


A STORM, AND WHAT FOLLOWED 25 

turn it. As he did so the vessel pitched once more, 
and sent his cup of coffee sliding down, the table 
toward Hockley. 

“ Hi, stop that ! ” roared the latter, and tried to 
catch the cup. But the effort was vain, and the 
hot liquid ran over his legs. “ Great Caesar ! ” he 
howled. “ How that burns ! ” And leaping up he 
danced around wildly. 

The other boys could not resist the temptation to 
laugh, and a shriek arose, that died away quickly 
at a look from Professor Strong. 

“ I trust you are not badly scalded, Jacob,” said 
the professor, coming over to him. “ The cup got 
away before I thought of it.” 

“ It's bad enough,” grumbled the youth, as he 
sopped off the coffee with a napkin. 

“ Never mind, the professor can order up another 
cup,” put in Darry cheerfully. “ I don’t believe 
there will be any extra charge.” 

“ Dartworth ! ” remonstrated Professor Strong. 

“ I suppose Jake is sorry you lost that cup, sir.” 

“ If you’d been scalded on the knee you wouldn’t 
be so tremendously happy,” snapped Hockley. “ I 
don’t care a rap about the coffee that was lost.” 

“ Oh, come on and finish eating,” put in Frank, 


26 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


remembering what the professor had said to him. 
“ In another half hour, if this wind continues, we 
won’t be able to do a thing but hold fast.” 

Quietness was restored and the meal progressed 
as well as the unsteadiness of the ship permitted. 
Truth to tell, Hockley was growing seasick once 
more and soon left the table and sought his state- 
room. A moment after Professor Strong arose. 

“ Boys, take my advice and stay inside while the 
blow continues,” he said. " I don’t want any of 
you to get lost overboard.” And then he followed 
Hockley, to see if he could do anything for him. 

The moment he was gone the others began to talk 
the affair over. 

“ We made a mistake to laugh,” said Sam. 
“ Jake will be more down on us than ever.” 

“ To tell the truth I couldn’t help it,” came from 
Darry. “ I would have laughed at anybody in such 
a fix.” 

“ The trouble is, Jake can’t take a joke,” came 
from Frank. “ But we want to be careful — the pro- 
fessor told me he didn’t like to see any quarreling.” 

Further talk on the subject was cut short by a flash 
of lightning that streamed into the dining saloon, 
followed immediately by a crack of thunder. Then 


A STORM, AND WHAT FOLLOWED 27 

came more lightning, and the thunder rolled and 
rumbled on all sides of them. 

“ We are in the midst of it now,” said Mark, as 
the crowd made their way to the upper cabin. 
“ My ! look at that ! ” And he dodged back, as a 
streak of lightning seemed to cleave the water just 
beside the vessel. 

The rain was coming down in sheets, and in the 
gathering darkness but little could be seen of the 
ocean, save when the lightning lit up the foaming 
and lashing waters. The lights had long since been 
set, and two sailors were on the lookout ahead and 
one each to port and to starboard. 

“ The only thing to be afraid of out here in a 
storm is a collision,” said Mark. “ As the captain 
said, the ship can stand up against almost anything. 
But when two ships come together with a 
crash ” 

“ Now it’s Mark that is trying to scare us,” came 
from Darry. “ I don’t think the ocean is so crowded 
with ships away out here.” 

“ No, but still we are in the direct path of all 
the vessels sailing around Cape St. Roque,” came 
from Sam. “ That is why they are so careful about 
lookouts.” 


28 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


The wind had now reached its full force and the 
American Queen pitched and tossed worse than 
ever. The lightning continued incessantly and at 
times appeared to play all around the topmasts of 
the ship, and the polished brass-work. 

“ It’s a brilliant electrical display,” was Frank’s 
comment, as he gazed through a window at it. 
“ But I don’t want to be in it.” 

“ Then you are glad you are not one of the look- 
outs?” said Professor Strong, who had just 
come up. 

“ I am glad.” Frank looked back. “ Did Jake 
come up ? ” 

“ No, he is not feeling well and thought he’d 
rather stay in his stateroom.” 

The professor began to talk to the others, as- 
suring them that he did not think there was any real 
danger. The cabin was crowded and many of the 
other passengers, who overheard his remarks, took 
comfort from what he said. 

It was a motley collection of people, all rich or 
fairly well-to-do, for those of limited means were 
either in the lower cabin or the steerage. The ma- 
jority were Spaniards and Portuguese, with a fair 
sprinkling of Americans, English, and Germans. 


A STORM, AND WHAT FOLLOWED 29 

Many different tongues could be heard in conversa- 
tion, and this would have been very strange to the 
young explorers had they not been through similar 
scenes many times before. 

Slipping away unnoticed, Frank hurried to the 
door of the stateroom that Hockley occupied and 
rapped softly. At first there was no response, but 
presently Hockley asked who was there. 

“ It is I — Frank,” was the reply. “ Will you let 
me in? ” 

“ What do you want? ” was the surly question. 

“ I thought I might be able to do something for 
you, Jake. I am sorry that you are sick again.” 

“ So the professor told you I was sick, did he? 
He might better have kept his mouth shut.” 

“ Can’t I do something for you ? ” 

“ I don’t want you to do a thing but leave me 
alone.” He gave a groan of pain. “ I guess you 
only came down to enjoy seeing me suffer.” 

“ I did nothing of the kind — I came to help you 
if I could. Isn’t there something I can do? ” 

“ No.” Hockley gave another groan. “ I was a 
fool to take such a long trip as this. Go away.” 

“ All right, if you say so. But I hope you’ll feel 
better soon, Jake.” And with those words Frank 


30 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


departed. He knew that he had done his duty, and 
more, and he felt better for it. “ Hockley can’t say 
that I didn’t try to be a friend to him,” he thought. 

Frank had scarcely departed when Hockley 
wished he had not sent him away. It was dismal 
enough to be sick and alone at any time, but it was 
far worse to be so during such a terrific storm. 

“ He would have been company at least,” he 
thought dolefully. “ And perhaps he could have 
suggested something that would make me feel bet- 
ter/’ Then he groaned again and shut his teeth 
hard. u I suppose they are all in the cabin enjoy- 
ing themselves, while I have to stay here flat on my 
back, and Oh!” 

He bounced up and scrambled toward the door 
of the stateroom. A splitting crack of thunder made 
him think that the vessel had surely been struck. He 
opened the door and looked out into the dimly lit 
passageway. Not a soul was in sight. A sudden 
sense of loneliness made him shiver. 

“ I’m going to the cabin, sick or well,” he told 
himself, and getting into the clothing he had cast 
aside, he crawled forth to join the others, as 
wretched an object as one would care to see. 

The worst of the storm was now over, and inside 



Mark and Darry were surprised to see a small steamer 
close by. — Page 31. 





A STORM, AND WHAT FOLLOWED 3 1 

of half an hour the lightning and thunder passed 
to the northward and the rain slackened gradually 
and then let up altogether. But the sea still ran 
high, causing the American Queen to pitch and roll 
as greatly as ever. 

“ We shall not be out of it until morning,” said 
Professor Strong. “ To my mind it was a most 
unusual storm.” 

“ It was really two storms in one,” said Captain 
Barton, when asked about it. “ They met about 
a mile to the south of us and we caught the full fury 
of the combination. I shouldn’t be surprised if we 
hear of some wrecks inside of the next few days.” 

Worn out by watching, the boys were glad 
enough to retire shortly after midnight, and none 
pf them put in an appearance until ten minutes be- 
fore the breakfast hour. Mark and Darry were the 
first to come on deck, and they were surprised to see 
a small steamer standing close by. 

“ That steamer was partly wrecked by the storm,” 
said one of the sailors, in answer to Mark’s question. 
“ She was flying a signal of distress, and Captain 
Barton is going to find out what is wanted.” 


CHAPTER IV 


INTRODUCING J. LANGNACK GREEN 

To talk, in mid-ocean, with those on another ves- 
sel was an unusual occurrence, and for the time 
being breakfast was forgotten by the young ex- 
plorers and Professor Strong, as well as by a large 
portion of the other passengers on the American 
Queen. 

“ That ship looks to be in pretty bad shape,” re- 
marked the professor. “ And it must be true, pr she 
wouldn’t fly a signal of distress.” 

A boat had been lowered from the vessel and was 
soon on the way to the stranger, which was named 
the Octavia. The first mate of the American Queen 
was in command, and presently he was hoisted 
aboard. 

“ She has sprung several pretty bad leaks and two 
pf her compartments are waterlogged,” said the 
mate, on returning. “ The captain thinks he can 
make land all right, but wants to know if you can 
spare him some casks of water and some cases of 


32 


INTRODUCING J. LANGNACK GREEN 33 

canned goods, so that he won’t run out of feed for 
his passengers. He says the owners wouldn’t give 
him what he wanted when they left Curasao.” 

“ I reckon we can let him have all he needs,” an- 
swered Captain Barton. “ We are well stocked and 
are making a quick trip.” 

“ When I told the passengers we were bound for 
Rio, some of them wanted to transfer to this ship,” 
went on the mate. “ One was an old friend of 
yours,” he added, with a grin. 

“ An old friend ? ” 

“ Yes, — the chap who got in a row over those 
staterooms — the fellow named Costavo.” 

“ Well, I’ll not carry him — nor any of his com- 
panions,” answered Captain Barton quickly. 

“ There were three others that wanted to come — 
all Americans and rich. They said they’d pay well 
if only you would take them.” 

“ All right; we’ll crowd them in somewhere.” 

So it was arranged, and after the water and cases 
of provisions had been transferred, the three Ameri- 
can passengers came on board. In the meantime the 
first and second mates held a conference and they 
agreed to give up their stateroom to the newcomers, 
being paid handsomely for so doing. 


34 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


Two of the Americans were business men, middle- 
aged, and sensible. The third was a young man of 
twenty, very tall and very thin, with curly yellow 
hair and blue eyes. His face was white and deli- 
cate, like that of a lady, and when he spoke it was 
with a drawl and a lisp that were most exasperating. 

“ Ye-as, we have had a truly horrible time of it, 
don’t you know,” said he to Mark. “ The beastly 
storm made the ship roll wretchedly. I asked the 
captain if he couldn’t do something to steady things, 
don’t you know, but he paid no attention. He was 
exceedingly rude.” 

“ It was an awful storm, no mistaking that,” re- 
plied Mark, and then he introduced himself and the 
others. 

“ Real glad to know you.” The newcomer drew a 
card from a case he carried. “ Permit me. J. Lang- 
nack Green, and really very glad to know you. I 
am — ah — traveling for my health. So beastly cold 
in Brooklyn in the winter my two maiden aunts, 
with whom I reside, thought it best I come south for 
a change.” 

“ Well, you won’t find it very cold here, Long- 
neck,” came from Darry. “ The mercury 
never ” 


INTRODUCING J. LANGNACIC GREEN 35 

“ Langnack, my dear fellow. Some rude beys in 
Brooklyn used to call me Longneck, but I never 
permitted it, never ! It was too beastly a nickname, 
don’t you know.” 

“Are you bound for Rio?” questioned Sam. 

“ I shall go wherever the ship goes. My time is 
my own, don’t you know, and money is no object.” 
J. Langnack Green gave a sort of giggle. “ May I 
ask, are you traveling for the sport of it, or on 
business ? ” 

“ We are traveling for the sake of learning some- 
thing,” came from Frank. “ We are academy boys 
on an exploring tour,” and then he and the others 
told something of where they had been and what 
they had seen. 

“ Ah, yes, I’ve heard of you before,” exclaimed 
the newcomer. “ At a hotel in Havana. They told 
me you had had a dreadful experience with a sea 
captain who served you with truly horrible food.” 

“ He means Captain Sudlip,” said Darry. “ Yes, 
he was a terror. But I reckon we got even with 
him.” 

“ I trust we have a nice time together,” said 
J. Langnack Green, and then he left them, to dress 
for lunch, as he told them. 


36 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Phew ! ” whistled Darry, when he was out of 
hearing. “ If he isn’t a real, genuine, top-notch 
dude, then I don’t know a mouse from an elephant. 
His name may be Langnack, but he’s got the 
longest neck of any chap I know, and a high collar 
to match.” 

“ I think we can depend upon it to have some 
sport with him,” put in Frank. “ Anyway, I love to 
hear him talk.” 

“ His maiden aunts have made a regular sissy 
of him,” remarked Sam. “ Fancy him asking the 
captain of the ship to steady things ! ” And he 
gave a laugh in which the others joined. 

One of the other passengers taken from the Oc - 
tavia gave them information that proved of more 
than usual interest. 

“ That Portuguese, Barnabe Costavo, was very 
angry because he couldn’t be transferred to this 
steamer,” said the traveler. “ He laid the blame on 
Captain Barton and on Professor Strong, and vowed 
that he would square matters when you set foot in 
Brazil.” 

“ Evidently he is bound to make trouble for us,” 
returned Mark. “ Well, we’ll have to take what 


comes. 


INTRODUCING J. LANGNACK GREEN 37 

“ I really can’t see what he can do to the pro- 
fessor,” came from Sam. “ We had a perfect right 
to take passage on this ship so long as the captain 
was willing.” 

“ Costavo said you knew that the staterooms be- 
longed to him.” 

“ According to Captain Barton they were not 
taken when we engaged them,” put in Darry. 

Several days slipped by quietly enough. The 
weather remained hot, so that nobody cared to in- 
dulge in any of the games that cabin passengers on 
ocean steamers usually play. Most of the time was 
spent on deck, lolling under the broad awnings, in 
the breeziest spot to be found. During those days 
Hockley did a good amount of grumbling, but no- 
body cared to listen to him. 

J. Langnack Green’s chief concern appeared to be 
pver his high collars, which insisted upon wilting al- 
most as fast as he donned them. His cuffs also were 
in a constant state of collapse, much to his despair. 

“ It is really no use,” he groaned, to Mark. “ I 
have tried my best to — ah — preserve my linen, but 
nothing will stay starched, don’t you know, in this 
beastly weather. I am afraid I shall run out of col- 
lars before port is reached.” 


38 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Take it easy and don’t worry,” replied Mark 
with a smile. “ Now I gave up wearing high collars 
long ago. Anything that is cool and comfortable 
goes with our crowd.” But J. Langnack Green 
would not listen. Three times a day he dressed for 
meals, much to the amusement of nearly all the 
other passengers. Some of his clothing, and espe- 
cially his vests, were truly stunning, and even the 
ladies laughed at him behind his back. But he was 
unconscious of this and felt sure he was making a 
deep impression on all of them, and especially on 
several young ladies to whom he had been recently 
introduced. 

“ All young ladies love to see a young man well 
dressed, don’t you know,” he said to Mark, in con- 
fidence. “ Now there is Miss Canning, for instance. 
She did not notice me at first, but when I put on 
those light blue trousers and that polka-dot vest, and 
that English puff tie with the dagger dashes, she 
really had to smile at me, she couldn’t help it, don’t 
you know.” 

“ Oh, you know how to do it, no doubt of that,” 
answered Mark. And then he had to turn away, to 
smile to himself at the recollection of how the young 
lady mentioned had laughed at the dude. 


INTRODUCING J. LANGNACK GREEN 39 

In spite of what Frank and his chums were will- 
ing to do towards being friendly with Hockley, the 
coldness on that youth’s part continued and he kept 
himself away from the crowd as much as he could. 
But he wanted somebody for a companion and pres- 
ently he fastened on J. Langnack Green. The dude 
was not altogether to his taste, but the fact that he 
had money counted greatly with Hockley, and Lang- 
nack loved to be praised, something that Hockley 
soon discovered. 

“ You’re the kind of a fellow I love to meet,” 
said Hockley, when the two were alone one day, in 
a corner of the cabin. “ You’re up to date and know 
a thing or two. Those other fellows I’m traveling 
with are all right as far as they go, but they are 
too goody-goody to suit me.” 

“ Possibly they haven’t — ah — seen enough of the 
world yet, don’t you know,” answered Langnack 
importantly. “ Now I have been to London and 
Paris and to Switzerland, and of course that makes 
a vast difference.” 

“ They hardly ever spend a dollar unless they ask 
the professor about it,” went on Hockley. “ Now I 
like to go off and have a good time in my own way.” 

“ And I don’t blame you, my dear boy ! I once 


40 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


had to travel with my maiden aunts, don’t you 
know. One wanted to visit all the points of his- 
toric interest, and the other wanted to visit all the 
churches and hospitals! It was truly awful! I 
never had such a wretched time in my life. Now I 
like to visit the popular art galleries, when the ladies 
are there, or go driving in the parks, or go to the 
matinees at the theaters ” 

“ Now you are talking,” interrupted Hockley. 
“ The theater is the best of the lot — when there’s a 
good show on. But the professor won’t let us go 
unless the show is what he calls first-class, and that 
means some stale, flat old thing that nobody wants 
to see.” 

“ Don’t the others — ah — object? ” 

“ No, they haven’t the backbone. If the professor 
says ‘ go,’ why they go and say nothing. They’re a 
lot of sheep, one following the other,” went on 
Hockley, trying to make himself believe that he was 
telling the truth, when such was far from being a 
fact. 

“ When you get to Rio do you expect to remain 
there some time ? ” 

“ Oh, I suppose we’ll stay long enough to look 
around the coffee and sugar plantations, and all 


INTRODUCING J. LANGNACK GREEN 4 1 

that. We’re out to. look at the industries of the 
country, you know,” and Hockley gave a sour grin. 

“ I shall remain in Rio some time. Why can’t we 
have some good sport together? I have been told 
that the city is really a large one, with fine parks, 
drives, and theaters. We could go off by ourselves, 
you know, and ” 

“ Just the thing, if I can manage it,” said Hock- 
ley, brightening. He remembered how he had 
tried to have a good time with Dan Markel and got 
the worst of it, but felt he would be perfectly safe 
with such a person as J. Langnack Green. “ We’ll 
take in every show in the town that’s worth going 
to see. Of course you can drive? ” 

“ To be sure. Why, really, when I drive in Cen- 
tral Park half the other drivers turn around to look 
at me, I do it so cleverly, don’t you know. I took 
twelve lessons from an English driver on handling 
the reins alone, and six lessons on handling the 
whip,” added the dude. 

“ Then we’ll get a fast team and have a dandy 
time, in the parks and on the speedways outside of 
the city. I’ll slip my crowd somehow, and they 
needn’t know a word about what we are doing,” 
concluded Hockley. 


CHAPTER V 


SOMETHING ABOUT BRAZIL 

“ Jake seems to be getting quite friendly with 
Green,” remarked Frank to Darry. “ I saw them 
together in the cabin only a short while ago.” 

“ He’s welcome to the dude’s company,” was the 
answer. “ Whenever that chap comes around me I 
can hardly keep from laughing or from poking fun at 
him, and 1 am bound to call him Longneck every 
time I open my mouth.” 

“ I believe they have something up their sleeve.” 

“ Oh, Hockley will probably want to go around 
with him when they get to Rio. But that will be for 
the professor to say.” 

“ Say, you fellows are wanted in the cabin,” came 
from Mark, as he strode up. “ The professor is go- 
ing to preach a sermon.” 

“ All right, we’ll be there,” answered Frank, who 
knew that the word “ sermon ” meant a lecture by 
their instructor. “ I suppose we’ve got to learn all 


42 


SOMETHING ABOUT BRAZIL 43 

we possibly can about Brazil before we set foot 
there.” 

“ I want to learn all I can/’ came from Mark. 
“ Then a chap doesn’t feel so much like a gawk when 
he lands.” 

“ I’ve been reading up a bit,” put in Sam, who 
stood near. “ So I am ready for the professor.” 

“ Never knew the time when you weren’t ready,” 
grumbled Darry. “ I believe you’d rather study 
than eat.” 

“ I would — after dinner,” came back with a laugh, 
and then Sam ran off as Darry pretended to shy 
something at him. 

Hockley had already been notified and he had 
asked if J. Langnack Green could not be present 
also. 

“ Certainly, if he wishes,” was Professor Strong’s 
answer. “ But he must remember that the talk is 
more particularly for those traveling with me.” 

A cool and quiet corner of the cabin had been se- 
lected and here the professor had hung up two maps, 
one of South America in general and the other of 
Brazil in particular. Before these maps the boys 
ranged themselves on camp stools, the professor sit- 
ting at the side, with a long pointer in his hand. To 


44 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


the rear sat J. Langnack Green and several others 
who had drifted near to listen to what was going 
on. 

“ Our talk to-day will be on Brazil in general,” 
began Professor Strong. “ As you will see by the 
map, this immense South American Republic occu- 
pies the eastern portion of the continent, with a large 
section sticking out boldly into the Atlantic Ocean. 
It is bounded on the north by Venezuela and the 
three Guianas — British, Dutch, and French. To 
the northeast and southeast lies the Atlantic. On 
the southwest are Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, 
and Bolivia, and on the west Peru, Ecuador, and 
Colombia. Can any one tell me the area of Brazil ? ” 
“ It is not exactly known, but is claimed to be over 
three million two hundred thousand square miles/’ 
answered Sam promptly. 

“ How large do you think that is, compared with 
our own United States ? ” 

“ I guess it’s about half as large,” came from 
Hockley, who felt compelled to say something. 

“ It’s a little larger than the United States 
proper,” came from Mark. 

“ Mark is right, the Republic of Brazil is larger 
than our own States with Hawaii thrown in, but 


SOMETHING ABOUT BRAZIL 45 

not quite as large as the United States with Alaska. 
Now who can tell me about the population? ” 

“ The population is about eighteen millions/’ an- 
swered Sam, as promptly as before. 

“ You are right, and that is almost half the popu- 
lation of the whole of South America. Now what is 
Brazil noted for ? ” 

“ Coffee,” said Darry. 

“ Cattle,” came from Frank. 

“ For having the largest river in the world,” re- 
plied Mark. 

“ You are all right, but I had the river in mind 
when I spoke. As Mark says, the Amazon River 
is the largest in the world, and, roughly speaking, it 
is between thirty-five hundred and four thousand 
miles in length. It is formed, in Peru, by the min- 
gling of the waters of the rivers Maranon and 
Ucayale, and several smaller streams, and is united 
with the Orinoco by the Cassiquiare and the Negro, 
as we learned when we were in Venezuela. As it 
flows toward the Atlantic its volume is increased by 
the waters of the Madeira, Tapajos, Xingu, and 
other rivers that are very large in themselves. 
Where the stream enters Brazil it is about a mile 
wide and at its mouth it is fifty miles wide.” 


46 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ What a truly remarkable river,” lisped J. 
Langnack Green. “ I must visit it before 
I leave the country, I really must, don’t you 
know.” 

“ To a great extent the Amazon flows through a 
flat country, and is lined on either side with heavy 
forests, where the growth is even thicker than that 
we saw on the Orinoco. The country being flat, the 
river is not particularly deep, yet steamboats can 
navigate it for a distance of over two thousand 
miles, and small boats can go several hundreds of 
miles further.” 

“ Well, that’s far enough for me,” murmured 
Darry. “ If you went that far on the Mississippi 
you’d find yourself away out somewhere in the Gulf 
of Mexico.” And this caused a smile, in which even 
Professor Strong joined. 

“ The Amazon and its tributaries drain the entire 
northern section of Brazil,” went on the instructor. 
“ This section is, as I said before, mostly flat. To 
the east the country is somewhat mountainous, and 
this section is drained by the San Francisco, which 
flows north and then east into the Atlantic. In the 
south is another river, the Parana, also of consider- 
able importance.” 


SOMETHING ABOUT BRAZIL 47 

“ A pretty well watered country/’ whispered 
Frank. 

“ Of the cities the most important is Rio de Ja- 
neiro, for which we are bound. That has an esti- 
mated population of over half a million, and is lo- 
cated, as you know, on the southeast coast. Other 
large cities are Bahia and Pernambuco, located to 
the north of Rio, and Para, situated near the mouth 
of the Amazon. There are numerous others, of 
which we will learn more after we have landed in 
the country.” 

“What is the chief industry?” asked Frank. 
“ Somebody said it was rubber.” 

“ Rubber is a very large industry, and when we 
visit the Amazon we shall have to see how it is col- 
lected from the trees. But the main industries are 
coffee, sugar, hides, and tallow. Many drugs are 
also exported, and rosewood and other valuable 
lumber. Everything that will grow in a hot country 
grows in the upper section of Brazil, and to the 
southward are grown many things that we have in 
our own States.” 

“ How about traveling around ? ” asked Sam. 
“ Are there many railroads ? ” 

“ Not as compared with the railroads at home, 


48 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Samuel. I have not the exact figures, but I think the 
total mileage is less than ten thousand. But they 
have the telegraph, telephone, and electric lights, the 
same as we do, and Rio is connected with Europe 
by cable. ,, 

“ I know they’ve got a pretty good navy,” came 
from Mark. “ Several years ago I saw one pf their 
warships lying off Staten Island.” 

“ Yes, the navy consists of about one hundred 
steam vessels, some of them steel or iron clad, 
manned by about twenty thousand officers and men. 
The army is of equal strength, when on a peace 
footing, and is provided with up-to-date guns and 
cannon. The forts in the various harbors have been 
in poor condition in the past, but the government 
is now improving them as rapidly as the treasury of 
the country will permit.” 

“ When did Brazil become a republic ? ” ques- 
tioned Hockley. 

“ Brazil has been a settled republic for only a 
handful of years. It was discovered by Pinzon 
and by Cabral in 1500, and settled by Portuguese, 
Spaniards, and colonists from Germany, Switzer- 
land, and other portions of Europe. In 1822 an em- 
pire was formed, under Dom Pedro, the son of the 


SOMETHING ABOUT BRAZIL 49 

Portuguese king. Nine years later Pedro II. came 
to the head of the government, and while he occu- 
pied that position Brazil united her fortunes with 
those of the Argentine Republic and Uruguay, and 
overthrew the mighty dictator Lopez, of Paraguay, 
who was striving to crush his neighbors. Follow- 
ing this, slavery was abolished throughout the 
whole of Brazil.” 

“ That was a good job done,” came from 
Frank. “ Just as good as overthrowing the dic- 
tator.” 

“ In 1889 there was a revolution, which had been 
simmering for a long time. Pedro II. was presented 
with a manifesto, in the presence of a large body of 
revolutionary troops, which declared that the empire 
was abolished and that Brazil was to be henceforth a 
republic. The emperor demurred and held a council, 
but in the midst of this he and his family were 
carried off to a ship lying in the harbor of Rio, and, 
later on, transferred to Lisbon.” 

“ That was a quick way to do things,” laughed 
Frank. 

“ The provisional government, under General 
Fonseca, decreed universal suffrage to all Brazil- 
ians who could read and write, and called for an 


50 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

election of delegates to an assembly. In the past 
the Roman Catholic religion had been the state re- 
ligion, but by another decree the church and the 
state were separated. This was in January, 1890, 
and shortly after this the United States recognized 
Brazil as a sister republic.” 

“ Is the Republic of Brazil run like ours? ” ques- 
tioned Sam. 

“ Not exactly. There are twenty States and one 
Federal District, similar to our District of Colum- 
bia. There is a President, and a congress consist- 
ing of a senate and a chamber of deputies.” 

“ Somebody said there was gold in Brazil,” said 
Hockley. 

“ There are some very rich gold and silver mines 
in the country, Jacob, and also copper and iron 
mines. Various other minerals are found, and also 
various kinds of precious stones. The mines are, of 
course, mostly in the mountainous regions, and we 
will visit what we can of them before we come 
away.” 

“ Jake wants to pick up a nugget or two,” said 
Darry slyly. 

“ Well, I don’t think you’d object to that your- 
self,” growled that individual. 


SOMETHING ABOUT BRAZIL 


51 


“ I’m really sure nobody would, don’t you know,” 
came from J. Langnack Green. 

“ The most important mountain range in Brazil is 
that along the southeast coast,” continued Professor 
Strong. “ Some of the peaks are quite high, that of 
Itacolumi, north of Rio, being about one mile, and 
another peak being estimated to be over a mile and 
a half.” 

“ That will make just a nice climb,” came from 
Darry. 

“ If the way isn’t too rough,” put in Frank. 

“ You haven’t said anything about volcanoes,” 
remarked Sam. “ Shall we visit any while we are 
in Brazil?” 

“ Don’t mention volcanoes ! ” cried Hockley 
quickly. “ I don’t want to get within ten miles of 
one.” 

At this the professor had to smile broadly. 

“ I don’t wonder at your being alarmed, young 
gentlemen,” he said. “ We shall be perfectly safe. 
So far as known, there are no volcanoes in Brazil. 
In several districts there are what are known as hot 
springs, similar to the hot springs in the United 
States, but that is all.” 


CHAPTER VI 


HOCKLEY SPEAKS HIS MIND 

“ Dry as a pumpkin, wasn’t it ? ” remarked Hock- 
ley, after the talk on Brazil had come to an end and 
he and J. Langnack Green had left the cabin. 

“ Oh, it was fairly interesting,” yawned the dude. 
“ But I really don’t see why he didn’t speak of the 
social conditions and all that, don’t you know. 
When I get to Rio I shall do what I can to be intro- 
duced to the best families, and he told us absolutely 
nothing about them.” 

“ The professor doesn’t move in swell society — 
not but that he knows some first-class people. He 
counts a man for what he says is his real worth, not 
his dress or his money.” 

“ Really ! How strange ! I can’t bear a man who 
doesn’t dress correctly, don’t you know,” answered 
Langnack, as he surveyed his own spotless outfit 
with great pride. “ I once had a private tutor — a 
chap who gave lessons in history and all that, don’t 
you know. They said he was an awfully clever fel- 


52 


HOCKLEY SPEAKS HIS MIND 


53 


low. But, do you know, he wore such old-fashioned 
collars and hats I couldn’t bear him at all, and I 
made my aunts discharge him and hire a fellow who 
used to dress like a fashion plate.” 

“ And was the new tutor just as smart? ” asked 
Hockley curiously. 

“ Well, I can’t really say as to that. His dress 
was what took my eye, and I used to take up nearly 
all of his time asking him about his tailor and how 
he picked his colors, and all that, don’t you know. 
We didn’t get along very far in history, but I liked 
him better than any teacher I ever had,” concluded 
J. Langnack Green. 

The day was almost cloudless and the ocean rolled 
lazily, as if there were no storms to disturb its 
mighty bosom. Far in the distance circled a flock 
of sea-gulls, occasionally in front of the steamer and 
then behind. The waves glistened in the sunlight, 
and in the dark green to the leeward could be seen a 
school of porpoises at play. 

“ They seem to have a good time,” remarked 
Sam, as he and Frank watched their curious antics. 
“ They act as if they hadn’t a care in the world.” 

“ It’s queer, but since leaving Trinidad I haven’t 
noticed a single shark near us,” said Frank. 


54 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“ Come over here and you’ll see one ! ” cried 
Mark, who stood at the rail. And walking over 
they beheld an immense fellow swimming close to 
the ship, with a little pilot fish only a few feet away. 

“ He’s ,a lazy beggar,” was Frank’s comment. 
“ He is letting the suction of the steamer carry him 
along.” 

“ I wonder if we can’t harpoon him,” put in 
Darry, as he joined the group. 

“ Oh, we might be able to do that,” came from 
Mark; “ but what good would it do? Captain Bar- 
ton wouldn’t want his deck dirtied up by such a 
haul.” 

“ And who wants a shark anyway? ” came from 
Frank. “ As long as they leave me alone I am will- 
ing to leave them alone.” 

With the storms a thing of the past, and the 
weather a trifle cooler, the passengers took up their 
amusements once more, and every day there were 
games at shuffleboard on the deck, quoits, and other 
contests, while in the main cabin somebody was 
either singing or playing. The boys got acquainted 
with nearly all of those who could speak English, 
and learned much from such as lived in Brazil or 
who had visited that republic. 


HOCKLEY SPEAKS HIS MIND 


55 


“ Of course you will find it vastly different from 
what you see in the United States,” said one gentle- 
man to Mark. “ But as you have already visited 
Central America, Cuba, and Venezuela you know 
about what to expect.” 

They had already passed Cape St. Roque, and the 
course of the American Queen was now straight 
down the coast to Rio, a distance of twelve hundred 
miles. 

“ How far below the equator is Rio ? ” asked 
Frank of Professor Strong. 

“ About twenty-three degrees — the same distance 
that Havana, Cuba, is above the equator.” 

“ Are the climates about the same? ” 

“ To a great extent, yes, although Rio, being 
located on the Atlantic coast, is tempered by different 
breezes than those felt at Havana. The rainfall is, 
I think, about the same.” 

“ Do you know many persons in Rie ? ” 

“ When I was there last I made half a dozen 
warm friends. But some of these I have not heard 
from in years.” 

As the days slipped by it was observed that Hock- 
ley and J. Langnack Green became warmer friends 
than ever, and the lank youth now paid a great deal 


56 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

of attention to his dress, whereas in former days 
he had been rather indifferent regarding his ap- 
parel. 

“ Gracious ! I really believe Jake is going to turn 
dude!” ejaculated Darry one day. '‘Did you see 
the outfit he is wearing this morning? That light 
checkered suit he hasn’t put on since we left New 
York. And he’s got a stunning necktie on that 
Longneck must have lent him.” 

“ Jake as. a dude would be simply great ! ” re- 
turned Frank, with a hearty laugh. “ Fancy 
Glummy with light gloves, a polished cane, patent 
leathers, and a cigarette, strolling up Broadway like 
this.” He gave an illustration up and down the 
deck. “ Wouldn’t it be killing? ” 

“ He’d have to put some talcum powder on those 
freckles of his first,” put in Darry. “ A dude with 
freckles don’t go. Now if Glummy would only ” 

Darry broke off short, as Frank leaned suddenly 
forward and pinched his arm. But it was too late. 
Hockley stood directly behind them, and the look 
on his face showed plainly that he had overheard 
all that had been said. 

“ So you think I’m a dude, do you ? ” he cried 
wrathfully. “ And I’d look like a monkey walking 


HOCKLEY SPEAKS HIS MIND 57 

up Broadway? ” He shook his fist at them. “ For 
two pins Fd knock you both down ! ” 

“ Well, Jake, we ” stammered Frank. He 

hardly knew what to say, he was so taken by sur- 
prise. 

“ Oh, you needn't try to crawl out of it. I heard 
what you said, and I heard what Darry said too. If 
it wasn't for the look of things I’d give you both a 
thrashing right here on the deck.” 

“ Perhaps you'd have to spell able first,” came 
from Darry. “ I don’t know that it was quite fair 
for us to say what we did, but that's no reason why 
you should pitch into us like a wild Indian,” he 
added. 

“Jake, I acknowledge it wasn’t just the right 
thing to say,” came from Frank, thinking once 
again of what the professor had said. “ Of course 
you have a right to dress as you please.” 

“ So you crawl, do you ? ” came back with a sneer. 
“ I knew you would. You are both a pair of 
cowards.” 

“ We are not cowards,” answered Frank bravely. 
“ But we don't want to quarrel with you. It’s 
not right, and Professor Strong doesn’t want to 
see it.” 


58 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ I said you were a pair of cowards, and I’ll stick 
to it,” went on Hockley, working himself up into one 
of his useless passions, “ Being friendly was only 
a big bluff, and all of your crowd know it. After 
this I want every one of you to keep your distance, 
and if you try to step on my toes again I’ll go at you 
hammer and tongs.” 

His face was pale and he stood before them with 
both fists clenched, as if ready to attack them on the 
spot. Further argument would have been useless, 
and Frank and Darry realized it. 

“ All right, Jake, if you want it that way,” said 
Frank quietly. 

“ If you prefer to go it alone you have that privi- 
lege,” added Darry; and then the two walked away, 
leaving Hockley glaring after them. 

“ I knew they’d crawl sooner or later,” said the 
bully to himself. “ They are afraid of me when I 
show them that I really mean business. After this 
I’ll not give in an inch to them.” 

“ What truly horrible fellows ! ” exclaimed J. 
Langnack Green, who had listened to the encounter 
from a safe distance. “ I would have nothing 
further to do with the rude creatures ! ” 

“ I’d cut them dead if I could,” answered Hock- 


HOCKLEY SPEAKS HIS MIND 59 

ley. “ But as we are all traveling together I have 
to put up with them in some things.” 

“ Why don’t you leave them ? ” 

“ My father doesn’t want me to do that. He 
wants me to travel with Professor Strong. If I 
won’t do that he says I’ve got to come home and go 
into business with him. And I don’t want to go to 
work just yet.” 

“ What is your — ah — father in ? ” 

“ The lumber trade.” 

“ Oh ! Does he — ah — handle boards and such 
things ? ” 

“ Hardly. He’s president of a lumber company, 
and owns several sawmills.” 

“Really! Well, if you could — ah — become a 
vice-president, or something like that, don’t you 
know, it wouldn’t be so bad.” 

“ Dad says I’ve got to learn the business from end 
to end before he’ll have me in the office. He says 
he worked his way up from the very bottom, and I 
must do the same. That’s why I prefer traveling 
around, especially as he lets me have nearly all the 
spending money I want.” 

“ Ye-as, it’s much more pleasant. Now my 
aunts, don’t you know, once wanted me to become a 


6o 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


banker in Wall Street. I said I was willing, and 
I got a letter of introduction to an old banker who 
had known my father. When I went to him, what 
do you think? That rude fellow wouldn’t give me 
any sort of an official position, but wanted to put 
me at the books, like a common clerk! I told him 
I would not dirty my hands in that manner, and 
walked out. I shall never forgive him for the out- 
rageous insult, never ! ” 

It was not long after the encounter with Hockley 
that Frank and Darry sought out Sam and Mark, 
who were reading books .of travel in a far corner 
of the deck. 

“ We’ve had another row with Hockley,” said - 
Frank, and gave the particulars. “ I suppose he’ll 
never forgive me for what I said.” 

“ For what we both said,” added Darry. “ Oh ! 
but wasn’t he mad ! He looked as if he could chew 
us both up.” 

“ It certainly was unfortunate,” came from Sam. 

“ He can dress as he pleases, and it’s really none of 
our business.” 

“ Hockley has had this feeling coming on ever 
since we left Panama,” said Mark. “ When the 
professor wouldn’t go to Peru he got sour 


HOCKLEY SPEAKS HIS MIND 


6l 


clean through, and he had to let it out on some- 
body” 

u We should have had an out-and-out fight if we 
hadn’t been on the deck,” said Darry. “ And how 
that would have ended there is no telling.” 

“ I reckon we could have whipped him,” returned 
Frank. “ But I don’t want a fight. I’m going to 
keep the peace if I possibly can.” 

“ After this let us pay no attention to his clothes, 
no matter how he dresses,” was Sam’s advice. 

“ I’m willing to leave him alone altogether,” put in 
Mark. “ We can get along well enough without him.” 

“ But that wouldn’t be quite fair, Mark.” 

“ It’s fair enough if Glummy wants it that way. 
I’m sure we haven’t got to toady to him.” 

“ Let us leave him severely alone for a while, and 
see what comes of it,” said Darry. “ I think he’ll 
feel mean enough when he sees that we intend to 
take him at his word.” 

“But what will the professor say?” questioned 
Frank anxiously. “ It won’t take him long to see 
that something is wrong.” 

“ He can talk to Glummy as well as he can talk 
to us,” came from Sam; and there the conference 
closed. 


CHAPTER VII 


SIGHTSEEING IN RIO DE JANEIRO 

It is said, and truthfully, that the Bay of Rio de 
Janeiro is one of the safest and most beautiful in 
the world. Beyond the bay the mountains line the 
shore for miles, standing out boldly against the sky 
and covered in spots with all hues of tropical vegeta- 
tion. 

The bay is from two to six and a half miles in 
width and over sixteen miles long, with many 
inlets and smaller harbors, giving a coast line sixty 
miles in length, where ships may anchor and take 
on or put off cargoes in absolute safety. In the 
harbor are a number of islands, Governor’s Island, 
about six miles long, being the largest. 

“ As you can see, the city of Rio is situated on 
the western side of the bay,” said Professor Strong 
to the young explorers when the American Queen 
was coming up the harbor. “ A portion of it lies at 
the water’s edge and other parts lie among the hills 
and mountains back of the shore.” 


62 


SIGHTSEEING IN RIO DE JANEIRO 63 

'* I saw that the ship came in between two forts,” 
observed Mark. 

“ Yes, Fort Santa Cruz and Fort Sao Joao. In 
1893 there was a naval rebellion here and things 
were pretty hot. But since that time all has been 
fairly quiet.” 

The shipping interested all of the party. The 
flag of nearly every nation under the sun was flying 
there, and vessels that were totally new in make-up 
to the lads could be seen on both sides. 

“ There is an odd-looking Japanese ship,” re- 
marked Frank. “ I never saw anything like it 
before.” 

“ Look* at the Small boats,” came from Darry. 
“ The bay is fairly alive with them; ” and what he 
said was true. Small boats were on every hand, 
some carrying freight and some passengers. There 
were fruit boats without number, and once a 
large barge filled with bellowing cattle floated by 
them. 

The American Queen came to anchor not far from 
the main docks of Rio, and after bidding farewell 
to Captain Barton the young explorers went ashore 
in a steam launch that came out to receive them. 
There was but little trouble concerning the baggage, 


64 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

and several hours later found them at one of the 
leading hotels of the city. 

“ The streets are about as narrow as those down- 
town in New York,” remarked Frank, “ but I 
must say they are a good bit cleaner than in most 
tropical towns.” 

“ Did you notice what fine stores they have ? ” 
put in Sam. “ Just as elegant as one would wish 
to see.” 

“ Are the Brazilians wealthy? ” questioned Darry. 

“ Many of the higher classes are,” responded the 
professor. “ And you must remember that many 
rich exporters and importers of other nationalities 
reside at Petropolis, the fashionable resort on the 
opposite shore of the bay. Fortunes have been 
made in coffee and cattle, not to mention the many 
other industries, and a good portion of the people 
know how to hold on to the money they make.” 

“ I think I’d just as lief rest at the hotel for a day 
or two,” said Hockley to Professor Strong a little 
later. “ The motion of the ship made me feel bad, 
and I want to keep quiet.” 

“ Very well, Jacob, you shall keep quiet,” was the 
answer. “ If you think you need a doctor I will 
have one come in.” 


SIGHTSEEING IN RIO DE JANEIRO 65 

“ Oh, no, all I want is to keep off my feet.” 

So it was arranged that Hockley should remain 
in his room the next day while the professor and 
the other boys made a general tour of the town. 

“ I believe Glummy has got something up his 
sleeve,” said Darry, when he heard of the arrange- 
ment. 

“ Do you think he is working to play some trick 
on us ? ” demanded Mark. 

“ I don’t know what to think, exactly. But we 
had better keep our eyes open.” 

But Hockley was not thinking of the others, or 
of how to “ get square ” just then. His mind was 
filled with the thought of going off with J. Lang- 
nack Green and having a good time. 

“ I’ve got the professor fixed,” he said, as he 
slipped into the room which the dude had engaged 
at the hotel. “ As soon as he and the others leave 
w r e can clear out on our own hook and have just the 
best time that money can buy.” 

“ Ye-as, my dear boy, we can,” answered Lang- 
nack. “ But you’ll have to keep on the lookout, 
don’t you know, or you may run into them when 
you least expect it.” 

“ Well, if we should do that, I’ll tell the professor 


66 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

that I felt better after he left and that you insisted 
on it that an outing would do me good. He can’t 
scold you.” 

“Of course not — it would be very rude in him to 
think of it,” answered J. Langnack Green ear- 
nestly. 

All the boys but Hockley were soon ready to ac- 
company Professor Strong, and through the hotel 
clerk a large carriage with a fine team of horses was 
brought around for their use. 

“ The city of Rio is really divided into two parts,” 
said the professor as they drove off. “ The old city 
is what you see built up around the water’s edge, 
with its narrow streets and its stuffy little buildings. 
To the westward is the new part of the town, sep- 
arated from the old by a park, or common, called 
the Campo de Santa Anna, where are located the 
city hall, the senate chamber, the national museum, 
the foreign office, the garrison, and other public 
buildings, as well as an opera house at which many 
of the leading stars of Europe and the United States 
have sung or acted.” 

“ You wouldn’t think it would pay them to come 
so far,” was Mark’s comment. 

“ At a first-class attraction the seats are very high 


SIGHTSEEING IN RIO DE JANEIRO 67 

here, five and even ten dollars being charged for an 
orchestra chair. When the rich Brazilian wants 
entertainment he wants it of the best. 

“For a long time the principal business street of 
Rio was the Rua do Ouvidor, which, as you will see, 
is little better than an alley for width, although the 
stores are handsome enough. Now, however, the 
Rua Direita is the main business street, and that is 
as fine as upper Broadway, in New York, or State 
Street, in Chicago/* 

“ I see the city is well supplied with water,” came 
from Frank, as he pointed to one of numerous 
fountains that they were passing at the public 
squares, 

“ Yes, the city has a first-class water system, the 
water being brought down by a fine stone aque- 
duct from Mount Corcovado', about three miles 
away.” 

They had passed into the Rua do Ouvidor, and 
now stopped at one of the numerous establishments 
to make a few small purchases. They found the 
store literally piled high with merchandise and the 
clerks extremely attentive and obliging. One was 
Brazilian and the other French, but both could 
speak fairly good English, so there was no trouble 


68 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

on that score. Prices, however, they found rather 
high. 

“ There are a good many Frenchmen and Ger- 
mans in business here/’ said the professor. “ They 
find it pays well, especially when they are in close 
touch with the European markets. As you will see, 
all the fashions are set by the Europeans.” 

“ Well, they set a good many of our fashions, 
too,” answered Sam, with a laugh. “ Don’t our 
ladies buy dresses and bonnets made in Paris ? ” 

“ And J. Langnack’s clothing must have a real 
English cut, don’t you know,” put in Darry, and this 
made the other boys laugh. 

While in the narrow but busy street they made 
several purchases of souvenirs to send home to the 
folks, and Mark purchased some material for his 
photographing outfit. The professor also obtained 
a cap, to replace one he had lost overboard while on 
the journey down the coast. 

After this they turned toward the park, and here 
visited the various public buildings already men- 
tioned. The senate was not in session, but they 
were permitted to look at the senate chamber, rather 
a gloomy apartment, decorated with a few flags and 
some dimly lighted pictures and portraits. 


SIGHTSEEING IN RIO DE JANEIRO 69 

“ I suppose this is a lively enough spot when the 
senate is in full debate,” observed Darry. “ But 
just now let us move on to something brighter.” 

Not far away was the National Library, contain- 
ing over a hundred thousand volumes, all of more or 
less importance. But here only the attendants and 
one or two old bookworms were present, and the 
effect was as depressing as it had been at the senate 
chamber. 

But now a rattle of drums greeted their ears, and, 
moving toward the garrison, they saw that a body 
of soldiers were getting ready for a parade. Soon 
the companies of soldiers came marching forth, with 
colors flying, and then an excellent band struck up 
one of the popular Brazilian airs. 

“ This is something like ! ” cried Frank. “ Let 
us see the parade by all means. Wonder why they 
are having it ? ” 

“ It’s a special soldiers’ holiday,” answered the 
professor, after consulting a man standing near. 
“ They are to have a parade and then some shooting 
and other contests in a park just outside of the city. 
They have this sort of thing once a year, so he 
says.” 

The people were gathering fast, and as the soldiers 


70 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

formed in the park, after marching around several 
of the sides of the square, a shout of applause went 
up. Then there was an exhibition drill, viewed by 
a number of the municipal dignitaries, and an hour 
later the soldiers marched off, followed by part of 
the crowd that wanted to see the contests in the 
afternoon and wished to attend the soldiers’ dance 
in the evening. 

It had been arranged that the professor and the 
others should not go back to the hotel at noon, so 
they procured lunch at one of the numerous res- 
taurants to be found in all quarters of Rio — a tidy 
little place kept by a Frenchman and his Brazilian 
wife. The cooking was in the French style, which 
suited them much better than did the native way of 
serving food, for the young explorers had not yet 
gotten used to onions, garlic, and oil — things that 
go into so many dishes of the South and Central 
American housewife and chef. 

They took their time in eating, and after the boys 
had finished the professor remained behind to smoke 
a cigar with the restaurant-keeper, and ask the man 
about the changes that had been made in Rio during 
the past few years. 

“ The improvements have been many,” said the 


SIGHTSEEING IN RIO DE JANEIRO 7 1 

Frenchman. “We have better pavements, better 
railroad service, better lighting, and better sewerage 
— everything just as good as in most of the cities in 
France. The changes since we have become a re- 
public are wonderful — and they are continuing every 
day. Before long, so I heard it said, Brazil will 
rival the United States.” 

“ I am afraid that time is still a long way off,” 
answered Professor Strong with a smile. “Yet I 
am glad to hear that everything is going along so 
well; ” and then he rejoined those under him. 

Darry was anxious for a drive into the suburbs, 
and, the others being willing, the heads of the horses 
were turned in the direction of the hills back of the 
town. Here they passed down many a long avenue 
of palms and by gardens rich with tropical plants 
and flowers. Most of the houses in the city had 
been small affairs of two stories, built of granite, 
but out here the mansions were truly grand, and 
they often paused to look them over. 

“ This is something of a fashionable neighbor- 
hood,” observed Mark. “ I imagine it would please 
J. Langnack Green.” 

The carriage now made a turn, and at a distance 
they heard a band playing, and soon came in sight of 


7 2 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


the park to which the soldiers had marched just 
before noon. 

“ Let’s take a look at them again,” said Frank, 
and they turned in at a gate to do so, never dreaming 
of the surprise in store for them. 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE FLAG AND THE MOB 

Less than half an hour after Professor Strong 
and his party left the hotel Hockley and J. Langnack 
Green did the same. 

Both were dressed in the height of fashion, with 
outfits that would have attracted attention in the 
most ultra society. The dude’s suit was of a light 
cream color, and the tall youth wore broad stripes 
that made him seem taller and slimmer than ever. 

“ If I go out with Langnack I’ve got to look as 
well dressed,” was the way Hockley reasoned. “ If 
I don’t he won’t like it. And he is certainly a good 
fellow, no matter if the others do laugh at him.” 

J. Langnack Green had already hired a spanking 
team of blacks with a light and stylish road turnout, 
and into this they hopped and the dude took the 
reins. 

“ You drive while I keep a lookout for the pro- 
fessor and the others,” said Hockley, and this was 
done. 


73 


74 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


They were soon passing through the fashionable 
part of the city, where a number stopped to gaze 
after them as they sped along. Once they were 
cautioned to drive slower, but to this the dude paid 
no attention. 

“ These ignorant people evidently do not know 
how I can drive," he observed. “ But I’ll show 
them a thing or two before we get back, don't you 
know." 

The morning passed swiftly enough, and at noon 
they stopped for lunch at a roadhouse that looked 
very inviting. Here they met a couple of Brazilian 
soldiers who could speak English, and from them 
learned of the parade and of the contests to come off 
that afternoon. 

“ There will be some very nice people there," said 
one of the soldiers. “ The daughter of one of our 
leading judges is going to present some medals." 

“ Then there will be some young ladies there ? " 
queried J. Langnack Green eagerly. 

“ Oh, yes." 

“ Hockley, we must go by all means. Think of 
what a truly delightful time we can have after we 
have been introduced." 

“ How are you going to be introduced ? " 


THE FLAG AND THE MOB 


75 


“ Oh, we’ll manage that, my dear boy. The 
young ladies are always glad enough to be intro- 
duced to me, don’t you know.” 

“ Go to the master of ceremonies,” said one of the 
Brazilian soldiers. “ If he thinks you are a proper 
person he will introduce you to the folks you want to 
know.” 

“ He can’t help but think we are proper persons,” 
answered Langnack confidently. 

Yet they did not leave the roadhouse until an hour 
later, for the two soldiers had insisted upon treating, 
and both the dude and Hockley felt bound to treat 
in return. As a consequence the latter had each 
four glasses of liquor before they left, something 
that neither of them could stand and which made 
both feel somewhat lightheaded. 

“ Now for some — ah — fun ! ” cried Langnack, as 
they drove off. 

“ Right you are, Langnack, my dear friend ! ” an- 
swered Hockley, and gave the team a cut with the 
whip that caused them to jump as never before. “ I 
tell you, this is life.” 

“ Don’t cut the horses so, my dear boy ! ” 

“ Oh, I know what I’m doing. I’m out for sport, 
and I’m going to have it.” 


76 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Wouldn’t those other chaps envy you if they 
could see you ? ” 

“ That’s what ! Let ’em go, Langy,” responded 
Hockley, and cut the team again. 

Away they went down the road at breakneck 
speed, the carriage jouncing from side to side and 
threatening to throw them out at any instant. Those 
who were coming in the opposite direction gave them 
as wide a berth as possible, yet there was more than 
one narrow escape from a collision. 

“ Those two fools should be arrested,” said one 
carriage driver. “ If they keep on they’ll surely 
kill somebody.” 

On and on went the turnout until a country road 
was gained. Then both realized in a dim way that 
they had made a false turn. 

“ Where’s the park ? ” asked Hockley, staring 
around vacantly. “ I don’t see any soldiers, do 
you?” 

“ Park must be somewhere else, my dear boy,” 
responded J. Langnack Green, as he swayed un- 
steadily on the seat. “ Perhaps we had better turn 
around, don’t you know. Too bad to make such 
a — a beastly mistake.” 

After considerable effort on the part of both the 


THE FLAG AND THE MOF 77 

carriage was turned back, and they inquired of a 
passer-by where the park and the soldiers were. 

“ I cannot understand you,” answered the Bra- 
zilian. 

“ Park, soldiers ! ” cried Hockley. “ Don’t you 
understand a word of English ? ” 

“ Wait, I’ll show him what we mean,” interrupted 
Langnack, and he pointed first to some trees and 
a garden nearby and then went through the motion 
of carrying a gun and firing it. 

“ Yes, yes, the soldiers,” said the Brazilian, and 
pointed out the proper road. 

Once more they went on the way, and at last 
reached the park and drove to where a large number 
of other vehicles were standing. By this time poor 
Hockley’s head was more bemuddled than ever. 

“ My head aches as if it would split,” he said to 
his companion. “ I — I guess I can’t stand the sun.” 

“ We’ll have another drink for a bracer,” re- 
sponded the dude. “Come on;” and leaping from 
the carriage he led the way to a large refreshment 
stand where a great number of folks were eating 
and drinking. The stand was gayly decorated with 
flags and bunting, and not far away a band was play- 
ing. 


?8 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ I don’t really think I want anything more to 
drink,” pleaded Hockley. “ All I want to do is to 
rest.” 

“ Oh, come on; one more glass won’t hurt you,” 
insisted J. Langnack Green. 

Thus urged, the lank youth consented to take a 
glass of wine and with it some dainty crackers. 
They sat at the end of a long table, and not far away 
were several soldiers with some young ladies, evi- 
dently their sweethearts. The soldiers wanted the 
table to themselves and did not relish the intrusion 
of the Americans. 

“ As soon as we are rested, let us go around and 
be introduced,” said the dude. “ Really pretty girls 
here, don’t you know,” and he stared at some of 
those sitting with the soldiers. 

Hockley did not answer, for he was looking at the 
decorations displayed around the park. “ It’s quite 
pretty,” he said, and, picking up a small Brazilian 
flag lying on a railing, he began to toy with it. 

“ Oh, that flag can’t hold a patch to our own, don’t 
you know ! ” cried Langnack, and snatched the flag 
from Hockley’s hand. The other made a grab for 
it, and in the struggle the flag was torn in half. 

Hardly had this occurred when one of the Bra- 



“What do you mean by insulting- our flag- ?” demanded 
the officer. — Page 79. 




THE FLAG AND THE MOB 


79 


zilian soldiers leaped up and came toward them. 
He had seen the dude stare at his sweetheart, and 
this alone had made him very angry. He called the 
attention of the other soldiers to the torn flag. 

“The Yankee pigs have insulted our flag!” he 
cried. “ They have torn it to pieces ! ” 

At this cry, uttered in a loud voice, fully a dozen 
soldiers sitting in the stand or lounging near turned 
toward Hockley and his companion, both of whom 
were somewhat bewildered by what had occurred. 

“ Wha — -what’s the matter ? ” stammered Hock- 
ley, as a lieutenant of the soldiers caught him 
roughly by the arm. 

“What do you mean by insulting our flag?” 
demanded the officer in Portuguese. 

Of course Hockley did not understand, nor 
did J. Langnack Green, and this made matters 
worse. 

“ Arrest them ! ” shouted somebody in the crowd. 

“ Throw them out of the park ! ” added another 
voice. “ Show them that they can’t come here to 
insult our flag ! ” 

The cries continued, and inside of a few minutes 
the crowd increased to over a hundred people. Then 
the report was circulated that the two Americans 


8o 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


had grossly insulted the Brazilian flag, had torn it 
to bits, and trampled it under their feet. 

“ Such cowards ought to be hung ! ” came from 
one old Brazilian patriot. 

“ The Yankees think they can rule the world,” put 
in another, “ but we will teach them a lesson they 
will not be likely to forget.” 

“ Goodness gracious ! What do these people 
intend to do?” gasped J. Langnack Green, as he 
gazed in horror at the angry faces about him. 

“ It’s all on account of the flag,” groarifed Hock- 
ley. 

“ But, my dear boy, I didn’t mean to tear it.” 

“ Neither did I, but they think we did, and they 
are as mad as hops.” 

“ I’ll pay for it ! ” cried the dude, struck with 
what he thought was a bright idea, and he drew 
from his pocket a handful of silver coins. He 
pointed to the remnants of the flag and then to the 
coins. 

“ So you think to buy us off? ” demanded one of 
the soldiers, and struck the coins to the ground. “ It 
is an added insult ! ” 

The cries on all sides increased, and people from 
all parts of the park were hurrying in that direction. 


THE FLAG AND THE MOB 


8l 


Hockley’s heart sank within him, and J. Langnack 
Green was so scared that his teeth fairly chattered. 

“ I was a big fool to leave the hotel,” thought the 
lank youth. “ Oh, why didn’t I stick to the pro- 
fessor and the others ? ” 

“ This must be investigated,” said the lieutenant 
severely. 

He tried to keep back the crowd, but this was im- 
possible. Somebody reached over and struck the 
dude’s hat from his head, and Hockley received a 
stinging blow in the ear that almost dazed him. 

“ Oh ! oh ! they mean to kill me ! ” shrieked Lang- 
nack. “ Keep off ! Keep off, you horrid things ! 
Keep off, or I’ll call a policeman ! ” 

Further words from him were cut short by the 
throwing of a small melon, which hit him in the 
cheek. The melon was soft and the contents spat- 
tered all over him and over Hockley. Then came 
other things, including buns and potatoes, and not a 
few small stones, and both felt that they were under- 
going a perfect bombardment. The dude was 
scared out of his wits, and Hockley felt as if he 
would collapse. 

“ It’s all a mistake ! ” bellowed the lank youth. 
“ We didn’t mean to hurt the flag — I give you my 


82 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


word of honor that we didn’t. Let up, won’t you? 
Oh ! ” And he put his hand to his neck where a 
sharp stone had landed, making a nasty cut. 

“ Call the guard ! ” cried the lieutenant. “ Call 
the guard at once, before they are mobbed. We 
will place them both under arrest, and then see if 
we cannot get at the bottom of this disgraceful 
affair. My word on it, good people,” he added, 
raising his voice; “if they really meant to insult 
our honored flag they shall pay dearly for their out- 
rageous actions ! ” 

“ Let us get at them, and we will settle the score ! ” 
cried somebody. 

“Yes, yes; let us settle it here and now,” said 
another. “ The court is well enough, but it is too 
slow.” 

“ We will give them all they deserve, never fear,” 
came from the rear of the crowd. 

And then those at the back pressed forward 
harder than ever. The lieutenant and some of the 
soldiers tried to hold them in check, but this was 
impossible, and in a twinkling Hockley and J. Lang- 
nack Green found themselves caught up by the mob 
and carried off to they knew not where. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE PROFESSOR SPEAKS HIS MIND 

“ There seems to be a fight of some sort on,” re- 
marked Frank, as he and his chums, with Professor 
Strong, moved forward into the park. 

“ Those people are carrying off two men,” came 

from Mark. “ They are Gracious ! Hockley 

and Green, as sure as you are born ! ” 

“ What’s that? ” came hurriedly from the profes- 
sor, who was talking to Sam. 

“ There are Hockley and Green, and they are in 
trouble.” 

“ Hockley ? ” The professor looked in the direc- 
tion and could scarcely believe his eyes. “ How can 
it be that he is here, when he told us he would remain 
at the hotel ? ” 

No one could answer that question, and Professor 
Strong did not wait for a reply. He ran forward 
into the midst of the crowd, and the others followed 

him. 

“ Professor Strong ! ” Hockley had caught sight 
83 


84 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

of the familiar face, and his heart gave a bound. 
“ Oh, professor, save me ! ” 

“ Yes, save us both, that’s a good fellow ! ” bawled 
J. Langnack Green. His collar and his tie were 
now gone, and his face was streaked with melon 
juice and blood. 

Pushing all who opposed him out of the way, 
Professor Strong forced himself to Hockley’s side 
and caught him by the shoulder. 

“ What does this mean, Jacob ? ” he demanded. 

“ I — I — it’s not my fault,” whined the frightened 
youth. “ It’s all over a Brazilian flag. We tore 
the rag by accident and these people thought we did 

it to insult ’em. We ” 

A yell from the mob drowned the remainder of 
his words. Then several tried to force the lank 
youth along, but Professor Strong stood his ground 
and held Hockley fast, and Mark, Sam, and Frank 
also came to the rescue. In the midst of the melee 
J. Langnack Green was separated from his com- 
panion, and soon the crowd drifted away to vent 
their vengeance on the dude. 

“ Save me ! ” panted Hockley, when he could 
speak once more. “ Oh, professor, don’t let them 
ha — hang me!” 


THE PROFESSOR SPEAKS HIS MIND 85 

u I will defend you,” answered Professor Strong 
as calmly as he could. 

“ And we’ll stick by you, Jake,” added Mark, who 
saw that the former bully was nearly scared to death. 

The lieutenant who had first interfered now came 
forward on a run, accompanied by a guard, and 
Hockley was quickly surrounded and made a pris- 
oner. The guard was that of the police, and soon 
a captain put in an appearance and said Hockley 
would have to go to the local jail for a hearing 
later on. 

“ All right, I’m willing,” said the youth ner- 
vously. “ Only get me away from here. That mob 
is ready to do ’most anything.” 

“ I am sure there must be some mistake here,” 
said Professor Strong to the police captain. “ This 
young man is under my care and we are traveling 
around to see the sights. I do not think he would 
knowingly insult your flag.” 

“ All that can be talked over at the station,” was 
the brief reply, and then Hockley was marched off 
under a guard of four into the city proper. 

“ He’s in a mess now and no mistake,” was Mark’s 
comment. “ These folks are very patriotic and 
very touchy about their flag.” 


86 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“ Well, we are the same way about Old Glory,” 
answered Frank. 

“ I wonder what became of Longneck,” put in 
Darry. 

“ The mob carried him off. But perhaps the 
police got him after all.” 

“ He was a sight to see, and just as much scared 
as Hockley was.” 

A crowd of thirty or forty followed Hockley and 
the professor’s party down to the headquarters of the 
Rio police, all anxious to see how the affair would 
terminate. As a consequence the officers present 
had all they could do to preserve order, and a hear- 
ing was had with difficulty. 

As well as he was able Hockley told his story, 
which was translated by an interpreter for the court’s 
benefit. Then Professor Strong was allowed to 
speak, and he told how he and his party were visit- 
ing Rio merely for the sake of seeing the sights. 

“ This young man perhaps did wrong,” he said 
in conclusion, “ but I feel certain he meant no insult 
to your honored flag. He has suffered at the hands 
of the mob, and this alone will be a lesson to him to 
be more careful in the future.” 

Hockley’s woebegone appearance justified the pro- 


THE PROFESSOR SPEAKS HIS MIND 8 7 

fessor’s words and had an effect on the court as well. 
A brief consultation was held, and at the conclusion 
the lank youth was fined a sum equal to ten dollars 
of United States money. This fine Professor Strong 
promptly paid, and then Hockley was allowed to 
depart. 

“ We will go back to the hotel,” said the profes- 
sor, quietly but sternly, and the tone of voice made 
Hockley’s heart sink into his shoes. He felt that 
he was out of one predicament, but not out of an- 
pther. 

“ Very well, sir,” he answered meekly. 

The distance was not great, and once at the hotel 
the professor and Hockley repaired at once to the 
latter’s room, and the door was tightly closed. The 
other boys looked at each other significantly. 

“ He’s going to get ‘ Hail, Columbia ! ’ ” ventured 
Frank. 

“ It’s rather rough on him, after what he has suf- 
fered,” came from Mark. “ When he was in the 
courtroom he looked as if he was going to faint, he 
was that scared.” 

“ Right you are,” put in Darry, who looked un- 
usually sober. “ Hang it all, fellows, I’m sorry for 
him!” 


88 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“So am I sorry !” came promptly from Frank. 
“ But what are you going to do about it ? ” 

Yes, what were they going to do about it? That 
was the question. They were in the room assigned 
to Mark and Frank, and two of the youths sat down 
in chairs while the others lounged on the bed. 

“We might go to the professor ” began Sam, 

after a long pause. 

“ Well, what are you going to say to him? ” asked 
Frank. “ That we don’t want him to be too hard 
on Jake? ” 

“ I believe Glummy had been drinking.” 

“ I think so too, and it’s a pity. Perhaps that 
dude led him astray. Green hasn’t any brains.” 

“ If Longneck led him off I’m going to cut that 
dude dead the next time I see him ! ” exclaimed 
Darry. 

While this conversation was in progress Professor 
Strong had locked the door of Hockley’s room and 
followed the young man to a settee that rested be- 
tween two of the long windows. On this settee 
Hockley sat down, the picture of misery. 

“Jacob, what have you to say for yourself?” 
asked the professor, but his voice was not as harsh 
as it might have been. 


THE PROFESSOR SPEAKS HIS MIND 89 

“ I — I don't know what you mean ? ” was the 
faltering reply. 

“ You told me you felt sick and wanted to remain 
in your room while we went out.” 

“ I — I felt better after you were gone, and it was 
so stuffy here ” 

“ Tell me the exact truth. You planned to go out 
with Green.” 

“ He wanted me to go out driving with him.” 

“ Where did you go?” 

“ Oh, nowhere in particular.” 

“ You went to some place where you could get 
something to drink.” 

“ We stopped at a roadhouse for dinner, and some 
soldiers insisted on treating us.” 

“ Didn’t you and Green treat, too ? ” 

“ Green treated first, and I — well, I didn’t want 
to act mean about it.” 

“ That is the trouble with most young men when 
it comes to drinking. They hate to appear mean, 
and so they drink more than is good for them.” 

“ Oh, I didn’t have so much as that.” 

“ I think you did, and I am very sorry for it. If 
you had been perfectly clear-headed you would never 
have gotten into such a mess over that flag. I don’t 


9 o 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


like to see boys or young men drink at all. This 
drinking and treating habit, and ‘ being a good fel- 
low/ has helped to fill many a drunkard’s grave.” 

The professor was talking very earnestly, and 
Hockley could not help feeling impressed. He 
shifted his feet uneasily. 

“ I am talking only for your own good, Jacob,” 
Professor Strong went on. “ You have the making 
of a bright man in you, and if you’ll do what is 
right, some day you’ll come out on top. But you’ll 
never amount to anything, no matter how much 
money your father may give you, if you don’t take 
hold of yourself and change some of your habits.” 

“ I — I guess I had better give up drinking.” 

“ It will be no loss to you if you do. A drinking 
man is never a good business man, — your father 
will tell you that, — and he is in a business where he 
ought to know, for some good-for-nothing lumber- 
men drink up every dollar they earn. But there is 
something just as important as liquor that you pught 
to give up.” 

Hockley looked up in wonder. 

“ I — I don’t understand ? ” he said slowly. 

“ I mean this habit of breaking your word. You 
told me you were going to remain at the hotel, but 


THE PROFESSOR SPEAKS HIS MIND 


91 


you did not do so. When we were in Venezuela you 
told me another kind of a story, and went off with 
that Dan Markel and got into trouble. If you keep 
on I shall believe that you cannot be relied on at all. 
And let me tell you that the boy or man who cannot 
be relied on in this world is of no account — nobody 
wants anything to do with him.” 

Hockley’s face fell and suddenly he dropped his 
head in his hands. He was breathing heavily, and 
evidently there was a hard struggle going on within 
him. 

“ Do you think I’m so — so bad as all that? ” he 
asked brokenly. 

“ I’ll be perfectly plain with you, Jacob, for I 
want to be your friend. You are bad enough, and I 
want to see you make a fresh start. You have 
everything in your favor. I want to see you make 
the most of your opportunities.” 

“ I want to do that myself.” 

“ I am glad to hear it, and you must know that I 
am willing to aid you in every possible manner. I 
know you have given up reading those trashy half- 
dime novels, and I am very glad of it.” 

“ I might do better, sir, but — but ” 

“ But what?” 


92 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ All the other fellows are down on me, and I get 
terribly lonely at times, and I don’t know what to do 
with myself. They go off by themselves and I 
haven’t anybody. That’s why I took up with 
Green. He was a dude, and a good deal of a fool, 
but he was sociable and that counted for a good 
deal. The other fellows think they are better than 
I am, and ” 

“ I think you are mistaken, Jacob. They ” 

“ Oh, I know them. They pretend to be friendly 

sometimes, but behind it all ” He ended with 

a knowing shake of his head. 

“ Can you prove in any way that ,they are not 
willing to be friends ? ” 

“ Oh, it’s plain enough. I’ll wager they are laugh- 
ing at me this minute, and they’re hoping you’ll give 
it to me good and hot,” and Hockley laughed ner- 
vously. 

At that instant came a mild tap at the door. The 
professor opened it, to find himself confronted by 
Frank and the others. 

“ Excuse us, professor,” said Frank awkwardly; 
“ but we made up our minds to call, and see if we 
couldn’t — er — couldn’t do something for Jake. We 
— er — we don’t want you to be too hard on him.” 


CHAPTER X 


A FRESH START ALL AROUND 

Frank's speech was an awkward one, but its 
very awkwardness made it appear the more genuine, 
and it must be admitted that both the professor and 
Hockley were astonished. Each gazed mutely at the 
four youths standing in the corridor. 

The professor was the first to recover, and a look 
of genuine satisfaction crossed his face. “ Come in, 
young gentlemen/’ he said/ “ Come in, and let us 
talk it over.” 

They came in, rather sheepishly it must be ad- 
mitted, and took such seats as they could find. 
Hockley continued to gaze at one and another, 
wondering what was to come next. Darry began 
to whistle softly to himself, and Sam drummed with 
his fingers on the end of the bed. 

“ So you think I am going to be rather hard on 
Jacob,” went on the professor. “ And you want me 
to be easy. Is that it ? ” 

“ Yes, that’s it,” replied Mark. He wanted to 


93 


94 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

say much more, but could not see his way clear to 
begin. 

“ It’s this way,” burst out Sam, plunging in. 
“ You know we have never pulled a very good 
stroke with Glum — I mean Jake. Sometimes I 
guess it was our fault and sometimes it was his. We 
had a falling-out on board of the ship, and I suppose 
he thought we didn’t want him along with us.” 

“ And so he had to go out with Longneck or no- 
body,” came from Darry, “ and that got him into 
this trouble.” 

“We talked it over up in our bedroom, and the 
whole crowd voted to see you about it, and do it 
right away, before you and Jake — that is, before you 
started to punish him,” said Mark. 

“ It seemed to us that he had been punished 
enough,” added Sam. “ And we want to know if 
you won’t drop the matter and let us all take a fresh 
start — that is, if Jake is willing.” 

“ You’ll be willing, won’t you, Jake, if the pro- 
fessor is?” asked Frank. 

“ I — I suppose so,” came faintly from Hockley. 
He was too dumfounded to say more. 

His mind was in a whirl. Here, while he had 
been telling the professor that the others were all 


A FRESH START ALL AROUND 


95 


down on him, they had been planning to do him this 
good turn. What had come over them ? He gazed 
at them suspiciously, as if half anticipating a trick. 

“ Oh, we mean it, Jake,” came from Sam, as if 
fathoming his thoughts. u We don’t want to see 
anybody in our crowd get into such a mix-up as 
fell to your lot. We want you to come with us after 
this — and then if there is anything wrong we’ll all 
be in it together.” 

“ But we don’t want anything wrong, Samuel,” 
said Professor Strong. “ We want to pull together 
and have everything just right.” 

The tone was cheery, and instantly the boys felt 
they had won the day. Sam went up and placed his 
hand on the professor’s shoulder. 

“ I knew you would listen to us — I told the others 
so, too,” he said. 

“ What do you say to this, Jacob ? ” questioned the 
instructor. “ If I agree to let the matter drop what 
will you do ? ” 

“ He said he’d be willing to take a fresh start,” 
came quickly from Frank. “ Come, Jake, let by- 
gones be bygones,” and he held out his hand. 

Hockley arose and took the hand; and then he 
took the hands of the others. It was rather a silent 


9 6 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

proceeding. Everybody wanted to say something, 
but couldn’t find just the right words. 

“ This pleases me very much,” came from Pro- 
fessor Strong. “ It shows that good sometimes 
comes out of evil after all. I trust that in the future 
all of you remain the best of friends. There is no 
reason why you should be otherwise. If you have a 
difference be honest and patch it up at once, instead 
of letting it run and grow worse.” He too gave 
his hand to Hockley. “ We will drop the matter 
entirely from this moment forth. But one thing I 
would advise you to do in the future, Jacob.” 

“ What is that, sir ? ” 

“ Be careful of the company you keep. I think I 
would not go out with Mr. Green again.” 

“ Oh, that dude ” began Darry, when Frank 

stopped him. 

“ I don’t think I’ll care to go out with him,” was 
the humble answer. 

“Then the affair is settled; and the best I think 
we can all do is to prepare for our evening meal.” 

“ Hurrah! that’s the talk! ” cried Frank, and off 
he and Darry rushed, with a lightness of heart they 
had not felt for many a day. 

“ Jake can’t say that we didn’t do the handsome 


A FRESH START ALL AROUND 


97 


thing by him,” said Sam to Mark, as they followed. 
“ It’s a good deal more than he would have done 
for us.” 

“ Well, I hope we have no more quarrels. Think 
of what glorious times we could have if everything 
went just right.” 

“ Jake looked as if the professor had read him a 
pretty good lecture before we arrived.” 

“ No doubt of that. By the way, I wonder what 
became of J. Langnack ? ” 

“ I’m sure I don’t know, but it’s likely the crowd 
mauled him pretty well.” 

Many at the hotel were curious to see how Hock- 
ley had fared, but the professor shielded his pupil 
by having the evening meal served in a private 
dining room. Here the affair passed off pleasantly 
enough, and the boys ended by singing several of 
their old academy songs, something which served to 
break the ice more than ever. 

“ I don’t mind telling you that I was a fool to go 
out with Green,” said Hockley, between the songs. 
“ He doesn’t know any more about fast driving than 
I do about running a canal boat. It was only by 
pure luck that we didn’t get smashed up long before 
we reached that park.” 


98 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ We are all wondering what became of the dude,” 
returned Frank. 

“ Perhaps he was arrested too,” added Mark. 

In this surmise Mark was correct. After being 
thrown down and ducked by the mob, J. Langnack 
Green had been captured by the police, and he had 
to remain in jail until the following morning, when 
he was released upon payment of a fine of ten dollars. 
He arrived at the hotel just as the professor and 
his party were leaving for another day of sight- 
seeing. 

“ My gracious, but Longneck looks a wreck ! ” ex- 
claimed Darry, and he was right. The dude’s face 
was swollen and scratched, his clothing was in tat- 
ters, and his hat battered out of shape. 

“ So you escaped, did you?” he groaned, on 
catching sight of Hockley. 

“ No, but I got away yesterday,” answered the 
lank youth. 

“ They treated me most outrageously ! They 
threw me down and trampled all over me ! ” whined 
the dude. “ They tore my clothes and some even 
threw lumps of mud at me and pieces of vegetables, 
and two big brutes threw me in the park fountain, 
too! And after that the police arrested me and 


A FRESH START ALL AROUND 


99 


made me stay in jail all night, along with two la- 
borers who smelt so of rum and garlic it made me 
sick. And then the horrid judge fined me a whole 
lot of money besides! Oh, it’s the most dreadful 
thing I ever heard of in my whole life ! ” 

“ W ell, what are you going to do about it ? ” asked 
Mark, while a number of others who had gathered 
began to laugh at the dude’s appearance. 

“ I really can’t say yet, don’t you know. But I 
think I’ll see the United States consul about it. 
Such a thing ought to be taken up by the govern- 
ment, don’t you know,” and then J. Langnack 
Green hurried to his room to escape the comments 
of the gathering crowd. 

“ Will our country take up such a thing as that? ” 
questioned Hockley. 

“ It is not likely,” answered the professor. “ His 
complaint will be heard and pigeonholed, and that 
will be the end of it. If he is sensible he will let the 
matter drop.” 

It had been decided that the day should be spent 
at Petropolis, across the bay, the home of many 
rich merchants doing business in Rio and the 
vicinity. 

“ The trip takes about three hours,” said the pro-* 


100 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


fessor. “ But it is well worth it. Were we going 
to stay here very long I would advise stopping at 
some hotel there instead of here, where one might 
catch the fever.” 

They were soon down at the dock, and presently 
a trim little ferryboat came along and took on its 
load of passengers, Brazilians, Germans, French- 
men, and also a handful of Americans. Then the 
ferryboat puffed off across the bay to the landing ten 
miles away. 

“ The different nationalities are very interesting,” 
said Mark, after he had taken several snap-shots of 
the boat with a new pocket camera he had purchased, 
not quite as clumsy an affair as that which was 
meant for plates instead of films. “ But they are all 
alike in one particular — just as the people in Vene- 
zuela and Central America were alike.” 

“ And how is that, Mark ? ” 

“ They are all lazy.” 

Professor Strong laughed. “ Hardly lazy, but I 
know what you mean,” he answered. “ It is the 
climate that does it. A man cannot be as active 
here as he can be where it is colder. If he kept going 
he would soon wear himself out completely.” 

“ But it is not as hot here as at the equator.” 


A FRESH START ALL AROUND 


IOI 


“ And people are not as lazy here, as you call it, 
as they are at the equator. Wait until we get on the 
Amazon, then you will learn what real laziness 
means. Some natives up there won’t do a thing 
unless they are actually forced into it.” 

It was not long before they were across the bay 
and seated in the somewhat stuffy train bound for 
Petropolis. There was a level bit of land, several 
miles in extent, and then the train began to climb 
the mountains. On all sides the vegetation was 
thick, and giant palms reared their heads high into 
the air. 

“ This is grand,” remarked Sam, as he sat by the 
window, drinking in the beauty of the scene. “ I 
don’t wonder the rich folks live out here instead of 
in the crowded city.” 

“ Petropolis was once the home of Dom Pedro, 
the emperor,” returned Professor Strong. “ It has 
always been a pretty place, but he made many im- 
provements, and these have been kept up. All the 
foreign legations are at Petropolis, so the place is a 
diplomatic center. It is the capital of the state of 
Rio de Janeiro and has about five thousand popu- 
lation.” 

“ How far is it from Rio ? ” asked Darry. 


102 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


“ About thirty-five miles, but of course the rail- 
road running around the mountains makes it appear 
further than that. It lies about half a mile above 
the level of the sea and is considered a remarkably 
healthy location.” 

They soon came in sight of the town, nestling 
prettily among the mountains, the many white and 
gray buildings standing out boldly in their setting 
of green. The streets were wide and well kept, and 
through many of them ran a small mountain stream, 
spanned by quaint little bridges painted red. Each 
house was set in a garden of flowers, and the 
buildings were rarely more than a story or two 
in height. 

“ This is certainly grand,” said Mark, as they 
drove from the railroad station to the leading 
hotel — the English Pensao Honoria, as it is called. 
“ I don’t wonder the emperor lived here. I could 
live here myself.” 

“ I happen to be acquainted with the American 
consul located here,” said the professor. “ After 
we have dined we can call on him, and then take a 
look around, either on foot or in a carriage.” 

It was a relief to strike something “ like home,” 
as Frank expressed it, and at the hotel, after a wash- 


A FRESH START ALL AROUND 


103 


up, they had a dinner as good as any they might 
have obtained in New York, Boston, or Chicago. 
To this they did full justice, and then continued their 
sightseeing without a thought of what was in store 
for them. 


CHAPTER XI 


IN WHICH HOCKLEY TURNS HERO 

With it all, Petropolis is but a small place, and 
inside of three hours they had visited nearly all the 
points of interest in the town, including the Ameri- 
can legation, the British legation, and the English 
school and churches. The palace of the former em- 
peror was also inspected, and for a small amount 
Sam bought some souvenirs, tiny grass mats on 
which to set lamps and vases. 

At the American consul’s house they met a va- 
riety of people. It was a busy day, yet they were 
treated with the utmost courtesy. 

“ I trust your tour of Brazil proves as interesting 
as your tours elsewhere,” said the consul, on parting 
with them. “ Certainly, it is a country full of mar- 
velous sights — especially along the Amazon.” 

The people of Petropolis have their favorite drives 
through the mountains, and the roads are kept in the 
best of shape. This news pleased Darry, and he 
begged that they might go out on horseback. 


104 


IN WHICH HOCKLEY TURNS HERO 105 


“ We haven’t been on horseback for a long time,” 
pleaded the light-hearted boy, “ and I am fairly 
aching to go.” 

“ So that you can get into another of your 
scrapes,” suggested the professor with a smile. 

“ Oh, no, I’ll promise to be very careful.” 

Even Hockley was in favor of such a ride. He 
was on his good behavior and had resolved to “ bury 
the hatchet ” as deeply as possible. 

“ If we go I’ll keep an eye on Darry,” he said 
jokingly. 

“ If you do you’ll have to ride pretty fast,” put in 
Frank. “ You know how Darry goes — like the 
wind.” 

“ I want no racing,” came from Professor Strong. 
“ If you are going to race I’ll not get the horses 
at all.” 

“How can we race if we haven’t the horses?” 
asked Mark, and then everybody laughed, the pro- 
fessor joining in. The mountain air was exhilarat- 
ing and put everybody in the best of spirits. 

They soon found a stable where horses could be 
procured, and the professor selected the animals with 
care, and they were quickly saddled. 

“ Hurrah! this just suits me to a T!” ejaculated 


106 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Darry, as he mounted. “ I feel more at home in a 
saddle than I do anywhere else.” 

“ That’s because of your life on a ranch,” an- 
swered Frank. “ Now carriage riding suits me 
about as well as this does.” 

“ But a carriage can’t always go where a horse 
can, Frank ! Come on ! ” And off they started, with 
the others in a bunch behind them. 

“ Now be careful ! ” shouted the professor. 

“ Oh, we’ll be as careful as a duck in a mill- 
pond! ” shouted back Frank gleefully. 

Soon Petropolis was left behind, and they can- 
tered swiftly along one of the valley roads and then 
up and over a long hill, leading to the distant moun- 
tains. The air was pure and cool, and filled with the 
fragrance of the tropical forest. The road was lined 
with palms, plantains, and other tropical trees, and 
in certain sections they came across undergrowths 
pf shrubs. 

“What are they?” asked Mark, pointing to the 
bushes. 

“ Crotons,” answered Professor Strong. “ From 
certain varieties they obtain the croton oil of com- 
merce, and also crotonic acid.” 

Presently the whole party drew up at a spring near 


IN WHICH HOCKLEY TURNS HERO IO? 

the roadside. Here, the water, trickling from be- 
tween the rocks, was exceedingly cool, and as clear as 
crystal. There was also a spot for watering horses 
and the animals were as glad as their riders to slake 
their thirst. 

“ Think of such a beautiful spot as this, and un- 
known to thousands of folks at home,” remarked 
Frank. 

“ And think of the spots at home that the Bra- 
zilians know nothing about,” returned Mark. “ It’s 
a great pity that everybody can’t travel.” 

“ Even if they could they couldn’t see every- 
thing,” declared Darry. ‘ ‘ To visit every point 
of interest in the United States alone would take 
a lifetime.” 

“ You are right, Dartworth,” said Professor 
Strong. “ The most we can do is to skip from one 
point to another, and thus get a general impression 
of the whole.” 

They had now reached the end of the main road, — 
at a point where it turned back in the direction of 
Petropolis. The boys begged to go on still further, 
and Amos Strong being willing, Darry and Hockley 
took the lead toward the mountain top half a mile 
ahead. 


108 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ I’m sure we’ll get a good view from that point/’ 
remarked Darry, as they sped along. 

“ We’ve got to be careful here, or one of the 
horses may break a leg,” answered Hockley. “ Here 
is a dangerous gully to cross.” 

The opening was a deep one and the bridge looked 
anything but substantial. Yet they passed the point 
in safety, and then rounded a point of rocks and 
came out on a fairly good road skirting the base 
of a cliff fifty to sixty feet in height. 

“ One can see the bay from this point,” said 
Darry. “ See how the water glistens in the sun- 
light.” 

“ Don’t go too near the edge of that hollow,” said 
Hockley nervously. “ You might go over.” 

“ Oh, Jake, you don’t know anything about my 
riding,” cried Darry. “ Why, out in Montana my 
father and I used to take all sorts of chances on the 
mountain trails. Many a time I’ve ridden on a 
trail that wasn’t half as wide as this, and I’ve done 
it in the dark, too.” 

“ Is that so? ” Hockley shook his head dubiously. 
“ I don’t want any of it.” 

“ I couldn’t do it when I went riding at first, but 
it wasn’t long before I got used to it.” 


IN WHICH HOCKLEY TURNS HERO 


IO9 


The cliff left behind, there was a double trail lead- 
ing directly to the top of the mountain. The two 
boys passed up that to the right, while the others 
took the left. 

“ Hurrah, first up ! ” cried Darry, and swung his 
hand in the air. “ I can tell you, fellows, this is 
something worth while.” 

It certainly was “ worth while,” as he expressed it. 
There was a vast panorama spread out before them. 
On all sides lay the rolling hills and mountains, with 
many a tiny stream flowing between. The trees and 
vegetation were thick and the colors gorgeous. Far 
away they could see some cattle grazing on a plain, 
and in another direction a locomotive and cars wind- 
ing their way along in the direction of Rio. 

The professor had brought a strong field glass 
with him and they took turns at looking through 
this. Thus half an hour went by, when the profes- 
sor declared that it was time to return to the town. 

“ If we don’t go back now we’ll have to remain in 
Petropolis all night,” he said. 

“ That wouldn’t be much of a hardship,” an- 
swered Mark. 

The horses had been tethered near, and now, when 
they went to remount, they found one of the straps 


IIO 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


of Frank’s saddle broken. This took some time to 
mend, so it was growing dark when the start was 
really begun. 

This time Sam was in advance, with Hockley di- 
rectly behind him. They took the road the tall 
youth and Darry had previously followed, and thus 
the pair got down near the cliff ahead of the others. 
Here it was much darker than up above, and Hock- 
ley called to Sam to go slow. 

“ Oh, I fancy I can make out all right,” answered 
the boy from Boston carelessly. “ This horse seems 
to be a very sure-footed animal.” 

But Sam had scarcely spoken when the horse 
slipped and almost went down. The lurch threw the 
youth back on the saddle and broke one of the 
leathers, for the outfit was no better than that Frank 
was using. Then the saddle began to slip to one 
side. 

“Whoa!” cried Sam; “whoa there!” But the 
horse would not stop and began to turn on the nar- 
rowest part of the trail. 

“ Look out! ” yelled Hockley. “ Look out! You 
are running into me ! ” 

“ I can’t help it ! ” burst out Sam, and then tried 
to leap to the ground. But he could not see very 


IN WHICH HOCKLEY TURNS HERO 


III 


well where he was going, and struck in a hollow on 
the very edge of the road. Then the horse gave 
him a shove, and like a flash he disappeared from 
view. 

“ Sam, where are you ? ” cried Hockley, as the 
riderless horse went on down the trail. “ Sam ! ” 

“ Hullo! ” came back faintly. “ Hullo, up there! 
Somebody help me.” 

“ Where are you ? ” 

“ Down here, stuck fast in a lot of bushes.” 

“ Are you hurt ? ” 

“ No, but I shall be if somebody doesn’t help me 
soon. There is a regular pit just below me.” 

“ I’ll do what I can for you,” answered Hockley. 
“ Just hold tight till I can get down.” 

A new light was shining in his eyes as he dis- 
mounted, crawled to the edge of the trail, and 
looked into the gloom below. Here was a chance 
to prove his friendship to the others of the crowd. 
They had stood by him and now he meant to stand 
by Sam, no matter what the peril. 

Sam lay almost on his back, in a thick clump of 
bushes growing on something of a shelf of the 
mountain side. Below him were a mass of jagged 
rocks, at the foot of which gushed a small mountain 


1 12 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


torrent. The distance to the bushes was all of ten 
or a dozen feet, so Sam was put of the other’s 
reach. 

Hockley did some rapid thinking. If he only had 
a rope he might throw one end to Sam. But he had 
nothing of the sort, nor was there a sapling at hand 
that might be cut down for his purpose. 

“ It won’t do to wait for the others,” he told him- 
self. “ That bush may give way at any moment. 
Here goes ! ” 

He crawled over the edge of the trail and made 
his way downward, holding with a nervous grip to 
the cracks between the rocks. He knew he might 
slip or fall, and the thought made him shudder. 

“ I’m coming, Sam,” he said, in as steady a voice 
as possible. “ Don’t move yet.” 

“ The bushes are bending over,” cried the youth 
below. “ I’m afraid they won’t hold much longer.” 

As he went down another foot or two Hockley 
heard hoofbeats in the distance, telling that the 
others were coming up. He set up a shout, but the 
others did not hear him, for they were talking and 
laughing among themselves. 

At last the foot of the rescuer touched the bushes 
upon which Sam was resting. Hockley looked 



“ I’m coming*, Sam. 


Don’t move yet.” — Page 112 





IN WHICH HOCKLEY TURNS HERO U3 

down. Below him the rock was perfectly smooth, so 
he could descend no further. 

“ Can you reach my foot, Sam? ” he asked. 

“ Yes.” 

“ Then catch hold.” 

“ Can you hold on if I do? ” 

“ I guess so.” 

Sam turned, and just as the bushes began to 
break away from the wall he clutched Hockley’s left 
foot and held fast. The other felt the additional 
strain and it was all he could do to keep his hands 
from losing their grip. 

“ Help ! help ! ” he called loudly, as he heard the 
others passing. “ Stop where you are ! Stop ! ” 

Sam also cried out, and soon the others came to a 
halt. 

“ Where did the cry come from ? ” questioned 
Darry. 

“ From below,” answered Mark. 

The professor had already dismounted, and look- 
ing down he caught sight of Hockley. 

“ Did you fall, Jacob ? ” he asked. 

“ No, I went down after Sam. Can’t you haul us 
both up ? ” 

“ Where is Samuel ? ” 


1 14 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Here I am,” was the answer. 

Fortunately the professor had brought a rope 
with him, not knowing how useful it might be, and 
this was quickly lowered, so that both boys might 
grasp it. Then came “ a long pull, a strong pull, and 
a pull all together,” and both were hauled up to 
safety, little the worse for their unlooked-for ad- 
venture. 



LONG KNIFE WAS TAKEN FAIRLY AND SQUARELY IN THE 
BREAST." — p. 63. 




CHAPTER XII 


A FEAST AND AN INTERRUPTION 

“ Why, Sam, how did it happen? ” asked Mark, 
after the safety of both young explorers was as- 
sured. 

In a few words Sam told his story, to which the 
others listened with interest. 

“ I should have gone down still further if it 
hadn’t been for Jake,” went on the youth from 
Boston. “ He came to my rescue in the nick of 
time.” 

At this all of the others turned to the former bully. 
They could scarcely credit Sam’s words. Had 
Hockley really turned hero? 

“ It’s a mighty steep climb,” said Mark. “ Jake, 
you must have had a hard time of it getting 
down.” 

The youth turned red and showed by his whole 
manner that he felt uncomfortable. This was a 
new experience for him. 


Il6 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ It was rather hard,” he answered. “ I thought 
once or twice I'd go down sure, especially after Sam 
got hold of my foot.” 

“ Jake, you’re a hero! ” cried Frank impulsively, 
and caught the youth’s hand. 

“ That’s what he is, fellows,” came from Sam. 
“ He saved me from a nasty fall, and I’m not going 
to forget it,” and he gave Jake a look that meant a 
good deal. 

“ Jacob, I am very glad that you went to Samuel’s 
assistance,” put in the professor. “ It was truly a 
worthy thing to do. You ” 

“ Oh, let’s drop it,” interrupted Hockley, grow- 
ing still redder in the face. “ It wasn’t so very 
much. Any of you would have done the same. I 
wonder where the horses went to ? ” he continued, 
changing the subject. 

“ I don’t believe they are far off,” said Darry. 
“ I’ll go and look.” And he galloped away. 

The animals were but a short distance down the 
road and Darry soon brought them back. Sam’s 
saddle was repaired, and once again the whole 
party started on its way to Petropolis, but 
this time, by the professor’s order, keeping close 
together. 


A FEAST AND AN INTERRUPTION 


ii 7 


“ It stumps me,” whispered Darry to Frank, as 
they rode along, behind the others. “ What pos- 
sessed Jake to do it? ” 

“ I believe he is really going to turn over a new 
leaf, Darry.” 

“ But he never liked Beans ? He always said 
Boston was too high-toned for him.” 

“ Well, Sam owes him one now.” Frank paused 
for a moment. “ We ought to let him know that we 
appreciate this. If we don’t he’ll think it’s not worth 
while making friends after all.” 

“ Fve got an idea.” 

“ What is it ? ” 

But before Darry could answer they came to a 
turn of the road and here the professor joined them. 
Then Hockley came to the rear, too, and the con- 
versation became general. 

The accident had delayed them still further, and 
by the time Petropolis was reached it was quite 
dark, and they learned there would be no more 
trains down to the bay until morning. 

This being so Professor Strong engaged rooms 
for the night at the English Pensao Honoria. Here 
a fine supper was had and then the whole party took 
it easy in the hammocks swung on the piazzas and in 


1 1 8 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

the garden, the latter a spot filled with beautiful 
flowers. 

While the others were resting, Darry called Frank 
to one side and the pair held a consultation. Then 
they slipped away, to be gone the best part of half 
an hour. 

The professor had provided the boys with two 
large connecting rooms on the second story of the 
hotel, while he occupied a smaller apartment on the 
opposite side of the hall. 

“ We may as well turn in early,” said Amos 
Strong, about half-past nine. “ Then we’ll be in 
good condition to start out to-morrow.” 

“ All right, I’m willing to retire now,” came from 
Frank, and Darry said the same. 

A little later found the boys in the rooms — Frank, 
Darry, and Mark in one and Sam and Hockley in the 
other. Darry stood at the door watching to make 
sure that the professor had also retired. 

“ The coast is clear, Frank! ” he whispered, pres- 
ently. “Now then, get to work, and be quick about 
it!” 

Sam had been let into the secret, and he was 
doing his best to keep Jake from undressing. “ I 
want to show you some of my souvenirs,” he said. 


A FEAST AND AN INTERRUPTION H9 

“ All right/' yawned his companion. He felt 
bound to be sociable even if he was a bit sleepy. 

Sam brought forth his treasures, and began to 
show them up one at a time, talking all the while 
in rather a loud voice, so that his companion might 
not hear what was going on in the next room. He 
explained the merits of several views he had 
purchased, and told the history of some Indian 
trinkets and how the Brazilian Indians made the 
articles. 

In the midst of the talk came a rap on the door. 
Hockley looked up in astonishment. Then the door 
between the two rooms opened and Darry stepped 
into the opening. 

“ Ahem ! ” he began, clearing his throat. “ At- 
tention, please ! ” And when Jake turned to listen 
he continued : “ Mr. Hockley, on behalf of the rest 
of us, and in honor of your noble conduct this 
afternoon, I beg you to — er — to join us in this 
room." 

“Oh, what a speech!" burst out Frank. “It’s 
this way," he went on. “ We are going to cele- 
brate the — that is — we want everybody to join in — 
in " 

“ Exactly. We want everybody to join in, and 


120 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

do it with a will,” came from Mark, with a laugh. 
“ In plain words, we are going to have a feast, 
Jake; it’s in your honor, and you are to sit at the 
head of the table. We want everybody to feel per- 
fectly at home, and help himself to whatever he likes. 
Now, fall in.” 

Sam caught Jake by the arm and led him into the 
other room. Here a somewhat small table had been 
drawn into the center of the apartment, and this was 
literally loaded with things to eat, including chicken 
sandwiches, several kinds of cake and pastry, nuts, 
candies, fruits, and ice-cold lemon soda, and root 
beer in bottles. 

“ Here you are,” said Sam, as he placed Jake in a 
big wicker easy-chair. “ As the one who was saved 
this afternoon I claim the honor of waiting on the 
rest; ” and he began to pass around the chicken sand- 
wiches. 

Hockley was taken completely by surprise, and his 
whole manner showed it. He gazed at the table 
and then at his companions, and took a sandwich 
mechanically and started to butter it with a piece of 
cheese taken from a plate near him. Then ne 
dropped the sandwich and looked at Darry. 

“ Say, who got this up, anyway? ” he questioned. 


A FEAST AND AN INTERRUPTION 


21 


“ We all did, Jake.” 

“ It was Darry’s idea,” answered Frank. “ But 
as soon as he mentioned it we all took hold. We 
wanted to celebrate our getting together again.” 

“ It’s very nice of you to do that.” 

“ Jake, it’s just here,” came from Mark. “ You 
know how often we have buried the hatchet before, 
and then dug it up again. Yesterday we were a 
little afraid that the same thing might happen once 
more. But to-day you won us over completely by 
saving Sam. After this we are going to bank on 
your being one of us, always and in everything. 
We don’t want any more quarrels or any more hard 
feelings.” 

“ I’m not going to quarrel any more,” put in 
Sam. “ I’ve learned my lesson, and that’s the 
end of it.” 

“ Well, I don’t know whether I can stop quarrel- 
ing or not ! ” burst out Jake. “ You’ve cornered me 
fairly and squarely, and I don’t know what to say, 
because why? Because I can’t control myself more 
than half the time. Now you’ve got the plain truth 
of it. I want to do what is right. It wasn’t much 
for me to go and help Sam. Haven’t you done lots 
of things for me? Didn’t you save me from that 


122 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


shark on Lake Nicaragua, and from those alligators 
in the swamp near Colon? When I think of those 
times, and then think of the mean things Fve done, 
and the mean things Fve thought, it makes me feel 
like — well, like going and drowning myself.” The 
youth’s voice dropped lower. “ I don’t deserve this 
— that is all there is to it.” 

“ Yes, you do,” said Frank. “ We’ve all made 
mistakes, ever since the time we had our first fight, 
up in Venezuela. We were just as hotheaded as 
you at times. After this every one of us has got to 
put a curb on his temper.” 

“ And that being settled, fall to, everybody, before 
the things get stale,” burst in Darry, and started to 
eat. “ If you let Frank talk we won’t get a mouth- 
ful until midnight.” And this caused a general 
laugh. 

The ice was now broken, and all began to eat and 
talk at once. Jake’s face wore a look the others had 
never seen before. It was a sober, earnest expres- 
sion, and when he did say anything it sounded as if 
it came directly from his heart. 

“ This puts me in mind of the times at the acad- 
emy,” said Frank. “ Do you remember that winter 
night when we put the lemonade out in a water 


A FEAST AND AN INTERRUPTION 1 23 

pitcher to get cold, and therice broke the pitcher all 
to pieces, so we didn’t get a drop? ” 

“ Dear old Lakeview ! ” murmured Mark. “ We 
had some good times there beyond a doubt.” 

“ And the night Jake brought the goat in from 
the McCaffery farm,” came from Darry. “ My, but 
wasn’t that one on old Rodley! He thought the 
ceiling of his room was coming down sure ! ” 

“ Yes, but you never heard all of that story,” 
came from the lank youth, warming up. “ When I 
was taking that goat up the back stairs he turned 
and butted me in the stomach so that I was sore for 
a week. That’s the reason I didn’t play baseball 
the time we beat the Jackson Academy team.” And 
then another laugh went up, in which Jake joined 
as heartily as the rest. 

The feast was at its height and all the young 
explorers were having a thoroughly good time when 
there came a sharp knock on the door. 

“ I’ll wager it’s the professor,” whispered Darry, 
in consternation. “ What shall we do ? ” 

“ Bless me if I know,” returned Frank. “ Per- 
haps he won’t like this for a cent.” 

There was an awkward pause, during which the 
knock was repeated. 


124 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Young gentlemen, will you let me in? ” came in 
Amos Strong’s voice. 

“ Wait, I’ll fix it up ! ” cried Hockley, leaping to 
his feet. “ Darry, put out a clean plate and a glass 
if you can find them. As the guest pf honor I claim 
the right to invite a friend ” 

“ Just the thing! ” cried Mark. “ He has got to 
join us, that is all there is to it.” 

The hall door was thrown open by Hockley, and 
the professor strode into the apartment and gazed 
around rather sternly. 

“ I thought all of you had gone to bed ” he 

began, when Hockley interrupted him. 

“ Professor, you must join us,” said Jake. “ The 
others have done this in my honor. It was a total 
surprise, but one I — I appreciate. You know we 
have made up ” 

“ And we are celebrating in honor of the treaty of 
peace and good fellowship,” added Sam. “ Now 
please do sit down and join us.” 

44 Just for the sake of your own schoolboy days,” 
came from Darry. 

Amos Strong began to smile. “ Well ! well ! So 
this is what you are up to? ” he said. “ Very well, 


A FEAST AND AN INTERRUPTION 


125 


ril join you — on one condition/' and there was a 
twinkle in his eye. 

“ What is that ? ” they asked together. 

“ That you keep the peace." 

And all promised. 

But would they — could they — keep that promise? 
Let us wait and see. 


CHAPTER XIII 


ON THE ROAD FROM SANTOS TO SAO PAULO 

“ I’ll tell you, the professor is a dandy,” said 
Frank to Mark on the following morning, when the 
whole party were on the return to Rio. “I never 
thought he could be such a thoroughly good fellow.” 

“ He was glad to see we had come together,” was 
the answer. “ I rather think he has been a good 
deal worried over our petty quarrels, and worried 
over the fact that Jake was inclined to go off on his 
own hook.” 

It had been decided to rest for the balance of the 
week in Rio, with little side trips to the botanical 
gardens and other points of interest. They also did 
some additional shopping, and Jake bought a snap- 
shot camera and had Mark give him a few pointers 
on how to work the machine. 

“ My father delights in pictures,” said the youth 
from Pennsylvania. “ Particularly pictures of saw- 
mills and lumber plants, and after this I am going 
to take all I can of them.” 


126 


FROM SANTOS TO SAO PAULO 127 

The boys were much interested in the bonds or 
public turnouts in Rio. They were fairly com- 
fortable affairs, and the lads often took rides from 
one part of the city to another. 

“ Years ago there used to be two kinds of bonds 
here,” explained Professor Strong. “ The kind 
that we have been using, and another of a poorer 
sort, marked f Descalcos / in which those who were 
barefooted could journey.” 

“ You don’t see many barefooted folks here now,” 
returned Frank. 

“ No, the majority of the city people have been 
educated out of that. And they have also been edu- 
cated into fitting their children with proper clothing. 
Years ago the little negroes and poor Portuguese 
used to wear nothing better than a slip made of a 
salt bag or a coffee sack.” 

After several talks with the young explorers, it 
had been decided by Amos Strong to journey from 
Rio down the coast to Santos, and then into the 
interior to Sao Paulo, Campinas, and other points. 

“ This will give you a fair knowledge of southern 
Brazil,” said the instructor. “ After that, we can 
visit the cities on the upper coast, and then take the 
looked-for trip on the Amazon and its tributaries.” 


128 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

The boys wondered what had become of J. Lang- 
nack Green, and at length questioned one of the 
hotel proprietors about him. 

“ He has gone,” said the hotel man, in fairly good 
English. “ As he told you, he went to see the 
American consul at Petropolis, but the consul would 
do nothing in the matter, and I imagine the gentle- 
man told him to keep quiet or he might get into more 
trouble. But Mr. Green was very foolish and talked 
in the sala in front of some soldiers, and they 
knocked him down. Then he grew frightened and 
left Rio, and I do not know to where.” 

“ Pm glad he is gone,” murmured Jake. “ I 
don’t know that I care to meet him again.” 

“ Perhaps his troubles here will hammer some 
common sense into him,” said Sam. 

By consulting a local newspaper they learned that 
a coastwise steamer would sail for Santos on the 
following Monday afternoon. 

“ The distance is about two hundred miles,” said 
Amos Strong. “ So w r e shall be in Santos by Tues- 
day night.” 

“ Is that the place where all the Santos coffee 
comes from? ” asked Frank. 

“ Yes, Frank; and let me add that Santos is the 


FROM SANTOS TO SAO PAULO 1 29 

greatest coffee-shipping port in South America, out- 
side of Rio.” 

“ Is it a large city? ” 

“ It contains fifteen thousand inhabitants. It is 
really the seaport for Sao Paulo, which lies further 
back among the hills, and which has over two hun- 
dred thousand inhabitants. All the rich merchants 
and coffee-growers of this neighborhood live at Sao 
Paulo. It is the capital of the state of that name, 
and has some very fine public buildings.” 

The young explorers found the steamer rather 
small and dirty, quite in contrast to the American 
Queen. Everything on board was of wood or rat- 
tan, something that made Professor Strong draw 
down his mouth in a peculiar way. 

“ I think we can stand it for twenty or twenty-two 
hours,” he said, “ but I shouldn’t wish to take a 
longer trip in this ship.” 

That night the young explorers found out what 
he meant. The steamer was alive with fleas and 
baratas, the latter being pests of the cockroach order. 
Fleas they had met with before, but not quite so 
thick as now. 

“ Oh, my!” cried Frank, after lying down for 
a while. “ This is simply dreadful ! ” And he 


130 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

began to scratch himself in half a dozen places 
at once. 

“ A man who would run a steamer like this ought 
to be — be decapitated,” came from Mark, as he, too, 
began to scratch himself. “ I can’t possibly sleep in 
that bunk.” 

“ I’m going on deck,” put in Darry. “ The fleas 
can have that berth if they want it,” and he started 
to dress himself. 

In the meantime the professor had gone to the 
captain to complain. Presently he came back with 
some sulphur candles. 

“ We’ll burn these in the staterooms for a while,” 
said Amos Strong. “ They will help to purify the 
atmosphere, and they’ll most likely drive the worst 
of the fleas away.” 

The professor’s plan was carried out, and an hour 
later the boys tried sleeping again. This time they 
were more successful, but the night’s rest was by no 
means as refreshing as it might have been. 

Shortly after the noon hour the next day they 
came in sight of the island lying in front of Santos, 
and, rounding this, dropped anchor in the harbor. 
They saw around them nearly as many ships as in 
the harbor at Rio, Beyond were docks, many of 


FROM SANTOS TO SAO PAULO I3I 

them of stone, and here numerous vessels were load- 
ing with coffee, the scent of which floated every- 
where. The loading was done mostly by negroes, 
strong fellows, who thought nothing of carrying- two 
bags of coffee weighing over two hundred and fifty 
pounds on their heads and shoulders, up the broad 
gangplank to the ship’s hatchway, where the sacks 
were dexterously dumped into the hold. 

“ That’s hard work,” said Frank, as he watched 
the negroes. “ I don’t believe I could lift one bag, 
much less two.” 

“ It’s a question of getting used to it,” returned 
Darry, “ Like the girl on the farm who carried 
a fat pig up to the garret every night. She started 
when the porker didn’t weigh ten pounds.” 

They were soon making their way up the main 
street of the town. In the distance could be seen 
the upland country and the mountains, where Bra- 
zilian coffee flourishes in all of its perfection. Not 
a great distance away was the railroad station. 

“ We may as well go on directly to Sao Paulo,” 
said Amos Strong. “ There is little of interest in 
Santos outside of the shipping, and that you can 
look at later. Santos is not a healthy place and I 
do not want any of you to get the fever.” 


132 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ That’s right,” came from Jake. “ No fever in 
mine.” 

“ What do folks do here when they feel the fever 
coming on?” asked Frank. 

“ They used to do two things,” answered the pro- 
fessor with a smile. “ Take castor oil and make 
their wills. But of late years the doctors have been 
fighting off fatal effects pretty well.” 

“ The journey to Sao Paulo is rather an unusual 
pne, so I heard at Rio,” came from Mark. “ A 
man told me it was up three inclines, where the cars 
are hauled by cables.” 

“ That is true, Mark, and though the distance is 
not so very great, not over- fifty miles, the journey 
lasts two hours and a half and sometimes more.” 

“ Reckon they believe in giving you your money’s 
worth,” put in Darry. 

Soon the train was ready to start, and having pro- 
cured tickets at the stuffy little office, they entered 
one of the cars, which was filled with Brazilians and 
foreigners of half a dozen nationalities. Then, with 
a loud whistle, the train started off and the journey 
for Sao Paulo was begun. The first of the inclines 
proved very interesting to the young explorers, and 
they gazed long and earnestly out of the windows 


FROM SANTOS TO SAO PAULO 


133 


as the car was hauled up the mountain-side through 
a dense tropical forest. The cars came up one 
at a time and the progress appeared unusually 
slow. 

“ I think I could beat this by walking,” remarked 
Frank. 

“ This is the land of amanha or manana,” came 
from the professor. “ Do you know what that 
means ? ” 

“ It means to-morrow,” answered Sam, who was 
struggling earnestly to master the language of the 
country. 

“ That is the literal translation, but it really means 
some time.” 

“ I guess it means any old time,” was Darry’s 
comment, and this raised a laugh. 

“ You will learn sooner or later that the Bra- 
zilians do not believe in hurrying themselves,” went 
on Amos Strong. “ You see how these merchants 
take it easy, spending five hours in getting to the city 
and back, with probably not over four or five hours 
of work in between.” 

“ They ought to hustle in New York for a while,” 
said Frank. 

“ Or in Chicago,” added Darry. “ It would open 


134 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

their eyes to see how business men race around all 
day long, and how many of them plan for more 
business during the evening hours.” 

When the first mountain level was gained they 
caught sight of a large coffee plantation in the dis- 
tance, with its thousands of trees, all set in straight 
rows and cultivated with the greatest care. 

“ This looks like some of the coffee plantations in 
Venezuela,” said Mark. “ Do they run the places 
here as they do in that country? ” 

“ The process is about the same, Mark, although 
each country does things a little differently from the 
Others, just as we do things differently from what 
they are done in England. Here a large part of the 
coffee is shipped in almost a natural state.” 

By the time the top of the second incline was 
gained it was growing dark, and presently the lamps 
in the car had to be lighted, and then the boys could 
see but little of what was outside. This being so, 
they turned their attention to their fellow travelers, 
and soon Mark was talking to a German-Brazilian, 
a gentleman who could speak English fairly well. 

“ It vos nice to trafel aroundt a leetle,” said the 
gentleman. “ I vos do dot dree or four dimes ven 
I vos young. I go by der United States, und by 


FROM SANTOS TO SAO PAULO 135 

Cuba, und den I go also to France und England. 
Put I like him best by Brazil.” 

“ Were you born here? ” asked Mark. 

“No, I vos born by Chermany, but mine parents 
da come here ven I vos so leetle; ” he put out his 
hand. 

“ I suppose you are in the coffee business.” 

“ Not dat oxactly; I vos puy und sell coffee sacks 
— dousands und dousands of dem. Of you come by 
Sao Paulo I show you mine factory for sacks,” and 
then the German-Brazilian handed over his card. 

“ Thank you, perhaps I’ll call, Mr. Mueller,” said 
Mark, and started to get out one of his own cards. 

Just as he was making the move there came a 
sudden jar and jerk that nearly threw him headlong 
to the floor. Then came a shrill whistle and another 
jar that caused all in the car to leap to their feet. 

“ Something is wrong! ” cried Frank. He peered 
out of the window. “ We are running backward 
down the mountain-side like mad ! ” he added. 


CHAPTER XIV 


A BRAZILIAN AND HIS BLOODHOUNDS 

By this time the whole car was in commotion. 
Many passengers were crying out at the top of their 
lungs, while others tried to leap from the windows. 

“ Don’t jump!” called Amos Strong to Jake, as 
he caught the frightened youth by the arm. “ It 
may not be so bad after all.” 

For the speed down the mountain-side appeared to 
slacken. Then came another jar and all felt the car 
leave the tracks. It plowed its way among some 
dense undergrowth and then’ came to a standstill. 

“ Now we are in for it,” remarked Sam, when he 
could catch his breath. 

Let us be thankful that it is no worse,” returned 
Mark. 

The passengers were leaving the car in all sorts 
of ways, and the young explorers and their tutor 
were not long In following. All leaped into the 
underbrush and made their way as best they could 
136 


A BRAZILIAN AND HIS BLOODHOUNDS 137 

to a clear bit of mountain-side a short distance 
away. 

It was too dark to ascertain the cause of the mis- 
hap at once, but later on, when lanterns were 
brought, it was learned that one of the car trucks 
was broken and this had twisted and broken the 
cable. A brake at the end of the car had kept it 
from going clear down to the bottom of the moun- 
tain and the broken wheel had caused the affair to 
leave the tracks as already described. 

“ Well, that came pretty close to being an exciting 
adventure,” observed Frank, as they stood around 
with the other passengers. “ Here we are stranded 
in the wilderness with night coming on. What’s to 
be done ? ” 

“If the car was completely off the tracks they 
might bring along another car,” answered Professor 
Strong. “ But as it is they’ll have to haul this car 
out of the way first.” 

The train officials were consulted, but could give 
no information further than that the news of the 
accident would be telegraphed to Santos and to Sao 
Paulo. What time the wreck would be cleared away 
there was no telling. 

“ They do things very slowly here,” said one gen- 


138 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

tleman to Amos Strong. “ More than likely they 
will not attempt the job until daylight.” 

“ Are we to stay here until that time ? ” came 
from Darry. 

“ We might return to Santos, if we can’t go 
ahead,” put in Frank. 

“ There is no train back to Santos to-night,” an- 
swered the gentleman. 

“ Is there any place in this vicinity that we can 
go to for the night ? ” questioned Amos Strong. 

“ There is a plantation about half a mile from 
here. You might try your luck there,” was the 
answer. 

The gentleman introduced himself. His name 
was Lawrence Baggett, and he was connected with 
the English legation at Santos. He was very 
friendly, and said he would accompany them to the 
plantation he had mentioned if they wished it. 

“ I do not know much about the place, excepting 
that it is owned by a Brazilian named Estacio Loma. 
He is said to be rather an eccentric individual, but 
he ought not to object to giving us accommodations 
for the night, especially under the present circum- 
stances.” 

“ And when we are willing to pay,” added Jake. 


A BRAZILIAN AND HIS BLOODHOUNDS 139 

Fortunately the boys had with them only their 
small hand satchels, so they were not overburdened 
for the walk. Mr. Baggett led the way, with the 
professor close behind him, and the young explorers 
bringing up the rear. It was a rough, uncertain 
route, through tall thickets, and under immense trees, 
where little or nothing could be seen. 

“ You are quite certain of the path? ” asked Amos 
Strong, after he felt a good half-mile had been 
covered. 

“ I thought I was,” answered Lawrence Baggett. 
“ But these mountain trails are very deceptive. 
But at the most we cannot be very far out of 
the way.” 

Soon after this they came to a rude fence, beyond 
which were long rows of coffee trees or bushes. The 
English gentleman said this marked the lower end of 
the Loma plantation, and that in a few minutes more 
they would be in sight of the house. 

“ I hear a dog barking,” said Frank presently. 

“ I hear two of them,” came from Darry. “ And 
they are coming this way.” 

“ I hope they are not savage,” put in Sam, and he 
came to a halt. 

“ By the sound they must be bloodhounds,” said 


140 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Amos Strong. He turned to Lawrence Baggett. 
“ What do you think of this ? ” 

“ I believe they are bloodhounds/’ was the quick 
answer. “ I remember now that somebody told me 
Loma had purchased them a few months ago — after 
some robbers tried to break into his house.” 

‘‘They are coming this way!” ejaculated Sam. 
“ What shall we do?” 

“ We’ll be chewed up ! ” came faintly from Jake, 
and he began to shiver. 

They looked ahead, but as yet could see nothing of 
the dogs. But the barking, or rather baying, came 
closer, and they knew that in another moment the 
beasts would be at hand. 

“ Come — this way ! ” cried the professor, and 
pointed to a small building on their left. It was a 
one-story tool-house, without windows. They ran 
over, only to find the door locked. 

“ Let’s climb on the roof ! ” said Darry, and made 
a leap up. He caught the edge with his hands and 
drew himself up with all speed, and one after the 
other his companions did the same. Mark was the 
last up, and by that time the two bloodhounds were 
directly below him and leaping up for his feet. 

The top of the tool-house was not over eight feet 


A BRAZILIAN AND HIS BLOODHOUNDS 141 


square, so the seven standing there had no great 
amount of room to spare. Moreover, the roof 
pitched slightly to the rear, so that they were in 
constant danger of slipping off. 

“ This is real pleasant,” observed Darry, after a 
pause, during which the baffled bloodhounds con- 
tinued to bay at them and leap up, snapping their 
teeth. “ It’s about as nice as being treed by a 
bear.” 

“ I’m wondering if it would be possible for one 
of those dogs to get up here,” said Frank. “ The 
jump isn’t such a big one, you know.” 

“ If they jump up, kick ’em for all you are worth,” 
came from Mark. 

Amos Strong always carried a pistol, and he had 
already drawn the weapon. Lawrence Baggett was 
likewise armed. 

“ I must confess, I didn’t think to get you into 
any such mess as this,” said the Englishman. 

“ You are as deep into it as we are,” returned the 
professor grimly. “ How far are we from the 
house ? ” 

“ Not a very great distance, I should judge.” 

“ The baying of the hounds ought to attract atten- 
tion.” 


142 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Let us hope so/' 

A few minutes passed slowly. The bloodhounds 
continued to leap up, then sat down on their 
haunches, to sniff the air and glare at those on the 
roof. 

“ Of course we might shoot the dogs,” said the 
professor, in reply to a question from Frank. “ But 
we had better not do that unless it becomes abso- 
lutely necessary. They are valuable animals, and 
the owner of this estate would probably not want 
to lose them.” 

“ I reckon we are booked for the rest of the night,” 
came from Sam. “ Only I don’t see how I’m to 
sleep standing up.” 

“ The dogs will sing you a lullaby,” answered 
Darry, and this caused a short laugh. 

Jake threw down a stone he found on the roof, 
and this set the bloodhounds to leaping and baying 
once more. Once one of them got his paws on the 
edge of the roof, but Frank kicked them off without 
delay. 

“ Here comes somebody with a lantern ! ” cried 
Mark in the midst of the noise. 

They could see the light flickering among the 
coffee trees, and presently two men came into view, 


A BRAZILIAN AND HIS BLOODHOUNDS 143 

one holding a pistol and the other an ancient Spanish 
musket. 

“ Hullo there ! ” sang out Mark. “ This way, 
please ! ” 

“ Ha ! I see the villains ! ” exclaimed one of the 
men in Portuguese. “ Our faithful dogs have 
driven them to yonder roof.” 

“ Shall I shoot ? ” questioned the second man, he 
with the ancient musket. 

“ It might be as well. They must be the same 
who tried to rob me before, the wretches ! ” 

“ Sir, will you kindly call off your dogs ? ” called 
out Amos Strong, in the native tongue. 

“ And why should I call them off ? ” demanded the 
man with the lantern. “ Dogs are meant for such 
would-be robbers as you.” 

“ We are not robbers, senor.” 

“ Are you Sefior Loma ? ” asked Lawrence Bag- 
gett. 

“ I am, as you well know,” said he of the mus- 
ket. 

“ Then kindly call off your dogs, as my com- 
panion has requested,” went on the Englishman. 
“ We are not robbers, but travelers who are seeking 
accommodations for the night.” 


144 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Ha!a likely story. If you are travelers how did 
you get to this corner of my plantation, seeing that 
there is no road in this vicinity ? ” 

“ We came over from the railroad. There has 
been a breakdown, and we did not wish to remain 
over by the tracks all night.” 

The plantation owner was incredulous, but listened 
to their story in detail. Then the Englishman in- 
troduced himself and the others, and at last Estacio 
Loma spoke to his companion and had the man call 
off the bloodhounds and tie them up. 

“ I have to be exceedingly careful here,” he ex- 
plained. “ Only a few weeks ago two good-for- 
nothing wretches came here begging, and I gave 
them something to eat. That very night they broke 
into my barn and rode off with two of my best 
horses and saddles ! ” 

“ You didn’t have the bloodhounds then, did 
you ? ” asked the professor. 

“ No; I purchased those animals immediately 
afterward.” 

When the plantation owner learned that Lawrence 
Baggett was connected with the British legation 
he became more friendly, and told the whole party 
he would give them as good accommodations as his 


A BRAZILIAN AND HIS BLOODHOUNDS 145 

rather small home afforded. He was a little man, 
with a peculiar manner and a jerky voice, and they 
soon learned that he was a bachelor and did not like 
women or children. 

“ They are always making trouble for the men 
folks,” he said to Lawrence Baggett. “ I shall 
advise you to remain single.” 

“ Thank you, but I am already married, and have 
a very nice wife,” was the answer. “ But my friend 
the professor is a bachelor like yourself.” 

“ A sensible man,” was Estacio Loma’s answer. 

The plantation home was indeed small, and all of 
the party had to crowd into two rooms. Before they 
retired Estacio Loma offered them some light re- 
freshment, which, after the tramp through the 
thickets, and the adventure on the roof, proved very 
acceptable. 

“ I’ll tell you what it is,” said Mark, before going 
to bed. “ A fellow doesn’t know what is going to 
happen next in this life. Who thought we’d be 
stopping here ? ” 

“ Or that we’d fall in with bloodhounds ? ” put in 
Frank. 

“ We can be thankful we got out of the scrape as 
we did,” came from Sam. “ If those dogs had 


146 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

caught us among the coffee trees there would have 
been fun, I can tell you.” 

“ Thanks, but it’s not the sort of fun I’m looking 
for,” returned Darry dryly. “ I don’t want any 
bloodhound to sample me — no, indeed ! ” 


CHAPTER XV 


ON A BRAZILIAN CATTLE RANCH 

As if to atone for his apparent want of civility 
the night before, Estacio Loma volunteered the next 
morning to send a man over to the railroad tracks 
to see when the next train would pass through on 
the way to Sao Paulo. 

“You must have breakfast with me,” he said; 
and they accepted, and partook freely of his excellent 
coffee, rolls, chops, and potatoes. He would accept 
no pay for what he had done, and told them if they 
came in that neighborhood in the future to call 
again. 

“ Not such a bad chap after all,” was Frank’s 
comment, after they had left. “ You’ve got to get 
used to him, that’s all.” 

“ I have been told that years ago he had a very 
unfortunate love affair,” said Lawrence Baggett. 
“ He was engaged to a lady of Rio, but at the last 
moment the lady sailed for Lisbon with her uncle 


147 


148 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

and married an attache of the royal court. That 
is why he is so bitter against women.” 

Two hours later found the whole party on a train 
bound for Sao Paulo. They learned that many of 
the passengers in the wrecked car had spent the 
night in the seats, making themselves as comfortable 
as the state of affairs permitted. 

“ It’s strange we didn’t think of that,” said Darry. 

“ I did think of it, but thought you’d be more 
comfortable in a bed,” answered Amos Strong. 

When the train rolled into the station at Sao 
Paulo the young explorers were much surprised at 
the din and confusion around them. The place was 
alive with people, and carriages and drays were on 
every hand. Emerging on the street they saw many 
blocks of stores, big and little, and business appeared 
to be brisk. 

“ This is a lively town,” remarked Sam, as they 
moved toward the hotel, “ and a good many of the 
people appear of the better class.” 

“ There are some first-class institutions of learn- 
ing here,” answered the professor. “ That makes 
the difference.” 

It had been decided to remain in Sao Paulo for a 
week or longer, taking side trips from that city 


ON A BRAZILIAN CATTLE RANCH I49 

whenever they felt like it. Their rooms at the 
leading hotel were not of the best, but this 
could not be helped, for everything appeared to 
be crowded. 

At Sao Paulo they parted with Lawrence Baggett 
much to -their regret. 

“ He is a fine man,” said Sam. “ And well 
educated, too.” 

“ I think there is a man here that I know,” said 
Amos Strong. “ He used to be attached to Macken- 
zie College.” 

“ Mackenzie College ? ” repeated Mark. ‘ “ Is that 
an English institution of learning? ” 

“ Yes. It was founded by John T. Mackenzie, 
of New York State. He was a deeply religious 
man, and donated fifty thousand dollars for a col- 
lege in which the teaching should be based on the 
Protestant Bible.” 

“ Is that the only college here ? ” 

“ Oh, no; there is the Government Normal School, 
which is really a college, and also several private 
institutions mainly Catholic. We shall see them all 
as we drive around.” 

Later on they visited Mackenzie College, a plain, 
three-story affair, built of brick, and set up on a ter- 


i$0 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

race, surrounded by a substantial wall. It is away 
from the main portion of the city, where there is 
plenty of light and air. 

They found the place crowded with pupils, and 
Amos Strong had some difficulty in finding the in- 
structor he wished to see. 

“ Amos Strong! ” cried the man when he caught 
sight of the party. “ Didn’t I tell you that you’d 
be back here some time? I am glad to see you.” 
They shook hands. “ And this is the party you are 
escorting around ? They look almost old enough to 
take care of themselves.” 

The instructor’s name was Louis Denley, and he 
and the boys were speedily introduced to each other. 
He was a graduate of Princeton, and had met 
Professor Strong half a dozen times. He insisted 
upon showing the party through every part of the 
college, and an agreeable hour was spent in his com- 
pany. 

“ It is astonishing how fast some of these Brazil- 
ians learn English,” said Louis Denley. “ They 
take to it as naturally as a duck takes to water.” 

He was sorry he could not go around the city with 
them, but said his duties made it impossible. But 
he gave them several letters of introduction, which, 


ON A BRAZILIAN CATTLE RANCH 1 5 I 

in the end, made them feel quite at home during their 
stay in the place. 

On their tours about the city they found Sao 
Paulo like many other Brazilian cities in one respect. 
The old part of the town contained many crooked 
and dirty streets, with buildings only one story in 
height. In the newer portions the streets were 
broad, well-kept, and well-lighted, and the build- 
ings were also far forger and statelier in appear- 
ance. 

“ Sao Paulo is in the very heart of the coffee- 
growing district of Brazil,” said the professor. “ On 
the outskirts you will find one of the largest planta- 
tions in South America. It covers many hundreds 
of acres, and is said to contain four million coffee 
trees.” 

“ Four million ! ” exclaimed Sam. “ That ought 
to be enough to supply half the world with coffee 
for a year.” 

“ The annual output amounts to millions upon 
millions of bushels. Of course the value of the 
crop is enormous. The expense of raising it is like- 
wise heavy. On the plantation in question over fif- 
teen hundred hands are employed nearly the year 
around, and the place has a railroad track of its 


152 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

own so that coffee can be shipped directly on the 
cars and down the main line to Santos.” 

“ No wonder the place is a busy one,” returned 
Frank, “ and no wonder so many of the people look 
rich. But they are not all Brazilians by any means.” 

“ No; the Germans and French have a firm foot- 
hold here, and Americans are coming in on almost 
every steamer. Years ago Sao Paulo, which means 
St. Paul, was only an Indian village called Pira- 
tininga, but now the Indians have been forced out 
and back to the forests and the pampas.” 

“ Are the Indians like those of North America? ” 
questioned Darry. 

“No; there is a good deal of difference, as you 
will see when we get among the tribes on the Ama- 
zon. Of course some of the whites and blacks here 
have Indian blood in them.” 

Nearly every day there was something new to see. 
They visited the large coffee plantation and saw 
the hands at work, cleaning, drying, and sorting the 
beans. They also visited the new reservoir of the 
city, and took several drives along the Avenida , the 
fashionable speedway. An hour was spent at the 
normal school and another hour at the department 
of law, and a whole day was devoted to the execu- 


ON A BRAZILIAN CATTLE RANCH 


153 


tive palace, the art gallery, and other public build- 
ings. They also visited Mr. Mueller’s “ factory ” 
for coffee sacks, and the German invited them to 
spend an evening at his home. 

“ That will suit me,” said Mark. “ I want to 
see how they live here,” and they all went and 
spent an entertaining couple of hours. The sack 
merchant showed them many treasures from home, 
and also things picked up in his wanderings around 
Brazil, and the good lady of the house displayed 
her quaint Brazilian pottery and table ware, and 
showed them her tin trunks, all gayly painted with 
flowers, in which she kept her best linen and wearing 
apparel. 

“ It ist to keep dem from de pugs,” said the lady. 
“ Of you no keep dem dings in tin poxes de pugs 
vill eat dem all up.” And later on they found this 
to be very largely true. Before going to the Amazon 
everybody provided himself with a big tin box, to be 
kept in his trunk for the best of his things. 

From Louis Denley the professor had received a 
letter of introduction to a cattle dealer named 
Obestol, a fat, good-natured Brazilian who did busi- 
ness in a number of towns to the west of Sao Paulo. 
Obestol could speak but little English, yet he readily 


154 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

consented to take all hands to one of his cattle 
ranches thirty miles in the interior. They rode part 
of the distance on the train and finished the journey 
on the backs of broncos which were scarcely larger 
than Shetland ponies. 

“ Here is where I feel at home ! ” cried Darry, 
when he found himself in the saddle once more. 
“ Somehow I always did like one of these broncos.” 
And away he went with a spirit and a dash that 
drew forth Joao Obestol’s keen admiration. 

“ He ride like a bird ! ” he said enthusiastically. 
“ He has lived wid ze horse, yes.” 

“ You are right,” answered Amos Strong. “ He 
once lived on a big ranch in Montana, in the United 
States.” 

The ranch to which they were bound proved a 
large affair. The main buildings were surrounded 
by a thick chaparral, with a gateway of stone and 
iron, and the rest of the land was fenced in with 
barbed wire of American manufacture. The ranch 
house consisted of a painted stone building one 
story high and fully a hundred and fifty feet long. 
Back of this were half a dozen barns and sheds, the 
majority filled with live stock. Fully a score of 
rancher os and “ cow-punchers ” were about, many 


ON A BRAZILIAN CATTLE RANCH 


155 


of them rather picturesquely dressed, with laced and 
fringed leggings and steeple-top hats. None of 
them could speak English, yet they grinned a greet- 
ing when the newcomers were introduced. All 
smoked cigarettes, the universal custom. 

A lunch was had, and then the professor and the 
young explorers were shown around the place. They 
went on horseback, over ranges covering several 
miles. Cattle were everywhere, and Joao Obestol 
explained how the young cattle were separated from 
the old, and what part of the stock was sent away 
“ on the hoof,” and what part was slaughtered for 
the hides, tallow, meat, bones, and other things of 
value. 

“ In days gone by much of this stuff went to 
waste,” explained the professor, “ but now every- 
thing is saved, even to the hair on the tail.” 

“ Do they make much milk ? ” asked Sam. 

“ No, only enough for the ranch use. Making 
milk in Brazil pays only close to the big cities, or 
along the lines of the railroads, or where there are 
cheese factories, just as in the United States.” 

Darry was so much pleased over being in the 
saddle that he begged to ride around the range once 
again. Frank wished to go with him, and at last 


156 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

the professor consented, telling them to be cau- 
tious. 

“ Don’t get into any of the sinkholes around here,” 
he called after the youths. “ If you do you may 
break a bronco’s leg and your own neck.” 

After Darry and Frank were gone the rest of the 
party walked down to one of the barns to witness 
the driving off of nearly a hundred head of cattle. 
Two cow-punchers were in charge, and though some 
of the cattle were ugly the men handled them with- 
out any trouble, smoking in the meantime as indus- 
triously as ever. 

“ I don’t believe they could do a thing if they 
didn’t have their cigarettes,” said Sam. “ I don’t 
understand it.” 

“ In Sao Paulo I saw boys of all ages smoking,” 
returned Mark. “ That can’t be very good for 
them.” 

“ You may depend upon it that it is not,” put in 
the professor. “ But in many hot countries tobacco 
smoking and the drinking of strong black coffee 
seem to go together.” 

Back of one of the barns was an inclosure of 
heavy logs, in which the ranch owner said he had 
penned a particularly vicious bull. If they wished 


ON A BRAZILIAN CATTLE RANCH 


157 


to see the beast they could do so by going up to the 
loft of the barn and looking down from the upper 
doorway. 

“ Let us go by all means,” said Mark, and ran 
up to the loft with Sam and Jake at his heels. 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE BULL AND THE HAT 

The loft of the barn was a dark place, and at the 
top of the ladder the boys had to pause until their 
eyes became accustomed to the darkness. Then they 
made out the cracks around the upper doorway and 
felt along until they reached it. When they threw 
the door open a flood of sunshine filled the place. 

The inclosure was ten feet below the bottom of 
the doorway and consisted of a rude wooden 
stockade with a heavy gate, now shut and locked. 
The place was not over fifty feet square, and in this 
was the bull Joao Obestol had mentioned, a big, 
black creature, with a broad head and heavy and 
sharp horns. 

“ He certainly looks like a powerful animal,” ob- 
served Sam, as they gazed down on the creature. 
‘‘If he caught a person on those horns I guess he 
could pierce him through and through.” 

“ I once saw a prize bull over at a fair on Long 
158 


THE BULL AND THE HAT 


59 


Island,” returned Mark. “ He looked a good deal 
like this beast. He got away the day after I was 
at the fair and came near killing several people 
before they captured him. He got in the art depart- 
ment at the fair and ruined about a dozen pictures 
and several patchwork quilts.” 

“ My father owned a black bull once,” said Jake. 
“ He was the terror of the neighborhood, but some- 
how he never bothered me excepting once when I 
wore a red necktie. My opinion is that bulls 
wouldn’t bother people so much if the people didn’t 
let ’em know how afraid they were.” 

“ Well, I can tell you I don’t want anything to 
do with a bull,” put in Sam. 

While this talk was going on the bull had looked 
up several times. He was chewing grass and did 
not seem to be at all disturbed by their presence. 
Occasionally he would switch his tail at the ever- 
present flies, but that was all. 

“ I’m going to try to wake him up,” said Mark, 
and looked around for some object to throw at the 
beast. A small block of wood lay on the loft floor, 
and he picked it up. “ I’ll wager I can hit him 
right on the head,” he added, and going to the door- 
way he took aim and let the missile fly. 


l6o YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

The others were anxious to see the result of the 
throw and leaned over Mark’s shoulder. As a con- 
sequence Jake’s hat was knocked off and went sail- 
ing down after the bit of wood. 

The bull was struck and started forward a step or 
two. But he kept on eating as if nothing unusual 
had occurred. 

“Oh, Jake, did I knock off your hat?” cried 
Mark. 

“ I guess it was my own fault,” was the good- 
natured answer. 

“ We’ll have a job getting that hat again,” came 
from Sam. The object lay just behind the bull, on 
a little wooden stand where stood a tub of water. 

“ Wait till I get a rake or something,” said Mark. 
“We can fish it up with that.” 

“ I hardly think a rake will reach, Mark. If you 
try it you may tumble after the hat.” 

Jake leaned out of the doorway and looked down- 
ward along the barn. 

“ There is a door below,” he announced. “ I am 
going to open that and get the hat.” 

“ But the bull will get after you.” 

“ I don’t think so. I think the ranch owner was 
fooling us. He doesn’t look a bit savage.” 



Down went his massive head, and he charged upon 
the boy. — Page 161 . 



THE BULL AND THE HAT l6l 

Both Mark and Sam warned the lank youth to 
be careful. But Jake would not listen, and ran 
down to the floor below. 

“ Do you want any help ? ” called Mark after him. 

“ No; you stay upstairs and see if you can attract 
his attention.” 

“ I’ll throw him down some more hay,” said Sam. 
“ That will keep him busy.” 

Finding the door that led to the inclosure, Hock- 
ley withdrew the pin of the bolt and opened it a few 
inches. The black bull paid no attention to the 
movement, and Jake opened the door still further. 
The hat was six feet away, and almost on tiptoes 
the boy made his way forward to snatch it. In the 
meantime both Sam and Mark tumbled down some 
hay with which to keep the bull busy. 

Jake’s hand was just on the hat when something 
prompted the bull to wheel around. On the instant 
the beast caught sight of the youth, and his eyes lit 
up with a glow of rage at being thus surprised. 
Down went his massive head, and he charged upon 
the boy with all the fury at his command. 

“ Take care ! ” screamed Mark, but the words 
were drowned out in the crash below. Jake had 
leaped back into the barn and the bull had hit the 


162 young explorers of the amazon 

partly open door with a force that cracked one of 
the heavy planks from end to end. Then the bull 
slipped into the barn, and Sam and Mark could no 
longer see him. 

“ He’s after Jake! ” gasped the boy from Boston. 
“ He’ll pound him into a jelly! ” 

“ Jake ! Jake ! ” called out Mark hoarsely. “ Are 
you safe ? ” 

In the meantime that youth had been behind the 
door when the attack came. The force of the crash 
sent him up against the barn wall, between the stud- 
dings and the posts. The timbers, fortunately, stood 
out some eight or ten inches, so by holding the door 
back against him Jake now found himself in some- 
thing of a box. 

“ Help ! help ! ” he yelled, at the top of his lungs. 
“ Somebody capture the bull ! ” 

His cries did not please the beast and soon came 
another attack on the door that nearly took it from 
its big iron hinges. Jake was almost scared out of 
his wits, but he clung to the door, for he felt that 
life would not be worth a moment’s purchase should 
he allow the barrier to swing the other way. 

The bull was now roaming around the lower floor 
of the barn, evidently looking for still greater free- 


THE BULL AND THE HAT 163 

dom. He knocked over nearly everything in his way, 
causing a great racket. But the door to the outer 
world was closed, so he had to remain where he was. 

Coming to the loft opening Mark and Sam peered 
down. They could easily see the bull, but Jake 
was, of course, out of sight. 

“ I don’t see him,” said Mark. “ Perhaps he 
got out after all.” 

“ Jake, are you down there ? ” called Sam. 

“ Yes ! ” was the shaky answer. “ I’m behind the 
door. Where is the bull ? ” 

“ Walking around, looking for more worlds to 
conquer.” 

“ Can you — you catch him ? ” 

“ Catch him ? ” repeated Sam. “ I don’t see how 
we can.” 

“ Wait, here is a long rope,” came from Mark. 
“ Perhaps we can catch him with that.” 

The rope was tested and a noose made at one end. 
The boys had all seen Darry use a lasso and now 
Mark prepared to test his own skill in that direc- 
tion. 

The first throw was a failure and so was the 
second. When the rope was cast a third time it fell 
directly over the horns of the bull. As they drew 


164 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


it tight the beast began to throw his head viciously. 
Then he gave a snort, broke loose, and trotted out 
into the inclosure from which he had come. 

“ He’s out again ! ” cried Mark. “ Shut the door, 
Jake! shut the door, quick! ” 

With caution Hockley peered forth to see if the 
news was true. Then he slammed the heavy door 
shut with all possible speed, raised the hasp to the 
staple, and slipped in the big wooden pin. 

“ Hurrah ! you’ve got him ! ” shouted Sam. 
“ That was a stroke of pure luck, wasn’t it ? ” 

He and Mark gazed down at the bull from the 
upper doorway. The beast was eating calmly, as if 
nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. They 
went below, to find Jake sitting on a feed box, his 
face deathly pale and his breath coming in gasps. 

“ I — I thought he had me sure,” he said. “ My! 
but he is an ugly brute, isn’t he ? ” 

“ After this we had better leave bulls alone,” put 
in Mark. He peered down on the floor and picked 
up a soiled and battered object. “ But you got your 
hat after all, Jake,” and he held it up. 

“ Yes, and in first-class condition,” returned the 
other in disgust. “ That bull took particular de- 
light in trampling all over it.” 


THE BULL AND THE HAT 165 

“ Never mind; as long as he didn’t trample over 
you, you had better call it square,” said Sam. 

“ Where is the professor and that ranchman ? ” 

“ I don’t know.” Sam went to the outer door and 
took a look around. “ I guess they went back to 
the house. Nobody is in sight.” 

“ Then they couldn’t have heard the racket.” 

“ Oh, if they had heard the row they would cer- 
tainly have come to your aid, Jake.” 

“ Well, as they didn’t hear it, I wish you would 
do me a favor. Don’t say anything about this af- 
fair. That Obestol may not like it at all that I 
disturbed the bull. If the beast had gotten out of the 
barn he might have kicked up high jinks around the 
ranch.” 

“You can be certain he would have made matters 
warm,” said Mark. “ All right, I wpn’t say a word, 
if you wish it that way.” 

Sam likewise promised to be silent, and then, after 
making sure that the bull could not break down the 
split door, they made their way to the ranch. 

“ Did you see the bull ? ” questioned Professor 
Strong. 

“ We did,” answered Mark. “ And he is a 
mighty ugly fellow, too.” 


1 66 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ They must be careful and not go too close to 
that creature,” said Joao Obestol. “ Only a few 
months ago he turned upon two of my men and 
nearly gored them to death.” 

“ Oh, we’ll keep away from him,” said Sam, with 
a laugh; and then the subject was changed. But 
Jake Hockley did not forget his experience for many 
long months to come. 

It had been arranged that the party should remain 
at the cattle ranch over night. Darry and Frank 
came back at sundown, flushed and warm over their 
ride but much pleased. 

“ It was just like a ride out West,” said Darry. 
u Those broncos are regular birds l ” 

“ A bronco knows when he has a good rider on 
his back,” said Joao Obestol. “ Not one of my men 
can ride better than you do.” 

At supper time the ranch hands and cow-punchers 
came in from all over the place. Their meal con- 
sisted for the most part of a thick stew, filled with 
garlic, dark and heavy-looking bread, and coffee 
“ strong enough to knock you down,” as Frank ex- 
pressed it. Many of the men smoked during the 
meal and the room was thick with the odor of to- 
bacco and cooking. 


THE BULL AND THE HAT 


167 


“ I’ve got to get out,” whispered Sam, after he 
had stood it as long as he could. “ This is enough to 
make a horse sick.” And he departed, and soon the 
others followed. The Brazilians thought it very 
odd that the young explorers would not smoke or 
drink liquor, but they offered no comments that 
reached our friends’ ears. 

After the evening meal the ranch owner had two 
of his best horsemen give an exhibition of trick rid- 
ing, and then one of the men set up a target and 
showed what he could do toward making bull’s eyes 
with his pistol. This interested the professor, and 
getting out his own weapon he soon proved that he 
was the equal of the Brazilian in marksmanship. 

“ Good ! good ! ” shouted the ranch owner, and his 
men clapped their hands when Amos Strong made 
four bull’s eyes out of a possible five. 

As it grew darker some of the ranchmen brought 
out a mandolin and two guitars. They could play 
very well on these instruments, and as they did so 
the others sang or danced. Then the boys sang one 
or two academy songs, which were loudly applauded ; 
and thus the evening proved a pleasant one not 
readily forgotten. 


CHAPTER XVII 


A CHURCH HOLIDAY IN BRAZIL 

Two days later found the young explorers and 
their tutor in Campinas, a city sixty-five miles north- 
west of Sao Paulo. They had come up on the rail- 
road, a delightful ride through heavy forests and 
between immense coffee and fruit plantations. They 
had crossed several high hills and also some moun- 
tain streams, none of Which, however, were particu- 
larly wide or deep. 

“ This town used to be called San Carlos,” said 
the professor, as they drove around the place. “ It 
is, as you have seen, located on a small stream, 
called the Piraticaba, a tributary of the Parana. It 
has grown wonderfully since I was here last. Then 
the population was less than forty thousand. Now 
it must be a good deal more than that.” 

“ I suppose coffee is the main staple here as else- 
where,” came from Mark. 

“ Coffee and sugar. Back of the town are located 
168 


A CHURCH HOLIDAY IN BRAZIL 1 69 

some of the finest sugar estates in Brazil. The sugar 
is grown and treated very much as in the West 
Indies.” 

There was not a great deal to see that was dif- 
ferent from what they had already seen in other 
places. Many of the buildings looked very old and 
some were in a state of collapse. But elsewhere new 
buildings had been put up by the score, and here the 
streets were well paved and fairly clean. They no- 
ticed that many of the poorer dwellings were made 
of nothing more substantial than mud. 

“ I should think they would wash to pieces when 
a heavy rain comes,” remarked Darry. 

“ There is a big church here built of nothing more 
substantial,” answered the professor, “ and you can 
see it now.” The church had walls from four to six 
feet in thickness all built of nothing but mud, and 
the rafters of the roof were covered with the same 
material. 

“ This mud had become thoroughly baked, so that 
the walls are really as hard as if built of brick,” 
said Amos Strong. 

“ But it's a great novelty,” said Mark, and pro- 
ceeded to take a picture of the building, while Jake 
did the same. 


170 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

At Campinas they visited a “ sugar cake ” factory, 
where sugar was manufactured in a hundred differ- 
ent fancy forms. The work was done mostly by 
girls and boys, who sang and smoked cigarettes as 
they worked. The sugar cakes were sold all over 
Brazil, to be eaten by the youngsters who considered 
it unfashionable to suck sugar-cane. 

“ When I was here before all children loved to 
suck on a bit of cane,” observed Amos Strong. 
“ But now they are getting above it.” 

“ Just like children at home,” answered Mark. 
“ Fve heard my father speak of the taffy and sour- 
ball days. Now he says children want chocolates 
and fancy bon-bons.” And this caused a general 
smile. 

On the day following they visited one of the 
largest of the sugar plantations and watched the pro- 
cess of sugar-making, as already described in a 
previous volume of this series. Then they visited 
another coffee plantation, where an experiment was 
being tried. The owner had planted Java beans in a 
soil especially prepared for that purpose and the re- 
sults looked very promising. 

“ As large as the coffee and sugar industries are 
here, they have by no means reached their full 


A CHURCH HOLIDAY IN BRAZIL 1 71 

growth/' said the professor, on the return. “ The 
opportunities for capitalists here are almost un- 
limited." 

It was decided to go from Campinas direct to 
Santos, and they started on the early train the next 
morning, reaching the seaport about noon. They did 
not stop in town as before, but took themselves to 
the island in the bay, a beautiful spot, having sev- 
eral fine beaches for bathing and a number of first- 
class hotels. 

“ Years ago the principal hotel here was put up 
by a company that ran a casino for gambling," said 
Amos Strong. “ But when Brazil became a settled 
republic the gambling was prohibited by the author- 
ities, and to-day you will see very little of it. The 
sea bathing is considered very beneficial and many 
sick folks come here on that account." 

“ Sea bathing suits me," cried Frank. “ Don’t 
you remember the sport we had at Macuto, in Vene- 
zuela? ” 

“ Yes, and the sport we had afterward trying to 
catch that rascal Markel ? " added Sam. 

They were soon located at a comfortable hotel. 
Close at hand was a beautiful park, running down 
to the water front, and containing many trees and a 


172 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

large variety of flowering bushes. Not far off was 
the bathing beach. 

“ Let us go in the first thing to-morrow morning,” 
said Darry, and this was agreed to, and sunrise 
found them bathing, in company with the professor, 
who enjoyed it as much as anybody. They found 
the water fairly warm. The beach was perfect, with 
no sharp stones to cut their feet, and the ocean 
rolled up in long swells that made them shriek with 
delight. 

“ This is a regular Coney Island and Atlantic City 
rolled into one! ” exclaimed Frank. 

“ You mean a regular Nantasket Beach,” came 
from Sam. “ I’ve been down there lots of times and 
the water is just about the same.” 

“ Yes, when you come to think it over seriously 
you can’t help but acknowledge that it is just about 
as wet,” remarked Darry earnestly. And then the 
others all went for him and ducked him under in 
short order. 

They had several races and did a number of 
“ stunts,” which amused not only themselves but 
also some other bathers. Then, at the end of half 
an hour, they raced up to the bath houses, to dress 
for breakfast. 


A CHURCH HOLIDAY IN BRAZIL 1 73 

“ To-morrow is a church holiday,” said Amos 
Strong, later on. “ A gentleman just told me that it 
will be celebrated in Santos by a parade, and a dis- 
play of fireworks at night. ,, 

“ Oh, let's go over and see them ! ” cried Frank. 

“ They tell me that the Brazilians have a good 
many church holidays," remarked Frank. 

“ Yes, Frank, and so do many other countries that 
are very largely Roman Catholic. Nearly every 
saint has his day, and fireworks are burnt in his 
honor. Some of the festivals, so called, last for sev- 
eral days, and St. John’s Day, which comes in June, 
takes up ten days of the people’s time. There are 
parades, church services, fairs, and fireworks, and 
the poor people generally spend every cent they have 
saved since the last holiday.’’ 

“ There is one thing I can’t understand down 
here,’’ said Darry. “ That is, what they call the days 
of the week. I heard one fellow speak of Monday 
as Market Day. What did he mean by that ? ’’ 

“ The system is very simple, Dartworth. Mon- 
day, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 
are Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Market 
Days. Saturday is Sabbado, or the Sabbath, and 
Sunday is Domingo, or the Lord’s Day.’’ 


174 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ And where does the First Market Day come 
in? ” asked Frank. 

“ That is not used, for Sunday is the first day of 
the week. ,, 

The young explorers were much interested in the 
people to be met with at the hotel and along the 
beach. All sorts of nationalities were represented 
there, and the variety of costumes was perfectly be- 
wildering. The British consul’s residence was on the 
island, and before they left they met Lawrence Bag- 
gett again, and he introduced them to the Ameri- 
can consul, a genial person they were happy to 
meet. 

The parade in Santos was announced for two 
o’clock in the afternoon, and at the time appointed 
the young explorers and the professor made their 
way to the main street of the town, where they pro- 
cured seats in a window of a hotel. The sidewalks 
were lined with spectators, and soon the procession 
began to move. At this everybody uncovered, and 
remained bareheaded until the last of the spectacle 
had passed by. 

At the head of the procession were several horse- 
men, to clear the way. Then followed a band of 
children with flowers, and half a dozen trumpeters, 


A CHURCH HOLIDAY IN BRAZIL 1 75 

blowing as loudly as they could. Some dignitaries 
of the church came next, accompanied by men and 
boys carrying candlesticks and lighted tapers. Next 
came a float, with a statue of one of the saints, be- 
decked with flowers, and another float followed, 
loaded with fruits and breadstuffs. Behind the floats 
marched fully two hundred men and women, some 
decorated with paper flowers and ribbons. Many 
were singing and occasionally those on the sidewalk 
would take up the refrain. 

“ Well, that is certainly very odd,” said Frank, 
after it was over. “ I presume to some of these 
people it means a great deal.” 

“ Religious ceremonies in all countries mean a 
great deal to those who believe in them, Frank,” 
answered the professor gravely. 

Shortly after the procession had gone by venders 
began to appear everywhere, each with a big board 
in front of him, piled high with cakes baked in the 
forms of saints, crosses, and stars. These were sold 
at a cheap figure and nearly everybody seemed to 
buy. The professor purchased some for the boys, 
who found them made of flour, sugar, and sweet 
spices. 

“ See how the shops are decorated,” said Frank, 


176 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

as they walked around the town. “ This is like a 
Fourth of July at home.” 

“ I notice that many of the stores are closed,” put 
in Mark. “ Evidently some of these shopkeepers 
don’t believe in doing business on a church holiday.” 

“ You will find many of the schools^ closed too, 
Mark,” returned the professor. 

They passed several hours in looking around, and 
then, having procured supper, made their way to 
where the fireworks were to be set off. This was in 
the center of one of the largest squares and already 
thousands of people were assembled to see the 
display. From a wire suspended between two tele- 
graph poles hung a big straw-stuffed figure of an 
imp with a big tail, and just as they arrived this 
w^as set on fire amid a loud hand-clapping and 
shouting. 

“ They are burning up Satan, I fancy,” said 
Amos Strong, in answer to a question from Darry. 
“ They do this several times a year, yet he seems to 
crop up just as lively as he ever did. Getting the 
better of evil in this world is uphill work.” 

So far many small squibs or firecrackers had been 
exploded, and now some big cannon crackers were 
let off, producing reports to be heard a long distance 


A CHURCH HOLIDAY IN BRAZIL 


1 77 


away. Then a rocket whizzed skyward, followed 
by a Roman candle, and the celebration of the even- 
ing began with vigor. 

To the young explorers, who had not seen such a 
display since the last Fourth of July spent in the 
United States, the celebration was of deep interest, 
and when a particularly pretty piece was set off they 
clapped as loudly as the rest. One set piece was in 
imitation of a rainbow, with the colors beautifully 
blended. 

“ I never saw anything better than that,” observed 
Mark. “ Oh, if only a fellow could take a picture in 
the dark and in colors ! ” 

“ You might take a flash-light, but that wouldn’t 
give you anything but black and white,” answered 
Darry. 

As the celebration continued, the crowd grew 
thicker and thicker, until the professor and the lads 
found themselves forced to the front, close to where 
stood a large pole with a seat around it. 

“ I’m going to stand on the seat ! ” cried Mark, 
and started to climb up, followed by Frank. As they 
did this a bouquet of six rockets was set off not 
a hundred feet away. 

The rockets were all of good size and five of them 


178 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

went sailing skyward without difficulty. But the 
sixth appeared to catch on something and then fell 
over on its side. Suddenly it went hissing forward, 
leaving a trail of sparks behind. The direction 
taken made it hit the pole, directly over Mark’s head, 
and then burning fiercely it fell in the very midst of 
the party below. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


ON THE WAY TO BAHIA 

“ Take care, boys ! ” 

It was a cry from Professor Strong, and came just 
as the blazing rocket hit the pole with the swiftness 
of an arrow shot from a bow. 

The sparks fell not alone on the young explorers 
but also on those standing near them, and on the in- 
stant a panic seized the crowd. 

“ Let me get away ! There will be an explo- 
sion ! ” cried one man in Portuguese, and this cry 
was taken up on all sides. 

Mark and Frank received the full discharge of 
sparks from the rocket and on the instant had their 
hands and part of their necks severely blistered. 
Then the rocket fell down, between the other youths 
and Amos Strong. 

“ Let me get out of here ! ” yelled Jake. “ That 
thing ” 

His voice was drowned out in the hissing of the 


179 


180 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

firework which was now almost ready to explode, for 
the rocket was of the sort known as a shower of rain. 

The professor was one of the few who did not 
lose his presence of mind. As the rocket went down 
he stooped and caught it by the top. Then, with 
one swift twirl he sent the blazing thing up almost to 
the top of a tree near by. Bang ! came the explosion, 
and the leaves of the tree were covered with the 
golden rain; and then the danger was over. 

It was some time before quietness could be re- 
stored, and several of those in charge of the celebra- 
tion came hurrying to the spot to learn if anybody 
had been seriously hurt. One woman had fainted, 
and she was carried to where she could get fresh 
air. 

“ My neck doesn't feel very good,” said Mark. 

, “ It's got half a dozen little blisters on it.” 

“ Puts me in mind of the time we suffered from 
Mont Pelee,” came from Frank. 

“ I move we get out of here,” said Jake ner- 
vously. “ They may fire another rocket right into 
us.” 

“ Yes, we will go,” said Amos Strong. “ We 
have seen the best of the celebration.” 

They forced their way out of the gathering and as 


ON THE WAY TO BAHIA 1 8 1 

soon as possible hunted up an apothecary shop, where 
they obtained a salve to put on the burns. This eased 
them considerably, and inside of a week all the 
burns disappeared. 

Three days later found the entire party on their 
way to Rio once more. They secured passage on a 
first-class coastwise steamer, so the trip was much 
more comfortable than the one down had been. Ar- 
riving in Rio they looked over the newspapers and 
learned that the American Queen was still in the 
harbor, but would sail for ports to the northward in 
Brazil three days later. 

“ That is the way we want to go next,” said Pro- 
fessor Strong. “ I presume you would just as lief 
sail with Captain Barton as with any one.” 

“ I’d rather sail with him than with most captains 
I know,” answered Sam. “ He is a nice man, and 
his vessel is just all right,” and the others said the 
same. 

“ Well, we’ll see what the captain has to say about 
passage,” went on Amos Strong. 

“ By the way, it’s queer we didn’t hear any more 
from that Barnabe Costavo,” observed Mark. “ He 
was going to do such wonderful things when he 
got to Brazil.” 


1 82 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Perhaps the captain has seen him,” said Darry. 
“ Let us ask him.” 

They found Captain Barton on the deck of his 
vessel, giving orders concerning some cargo that was 
coming on board. He was glad to see them and gave 
each a handshake that made some of the young ex- 
plorers wince. 

“ So you’ve been down to Santos, and up to 
Sao Paulo and Campinas, eh?” he said. “ Hope 
you enjoyed the trip, and got chock-a-block with 
knowledge,” and he laughed loudly. 

“ We are ready to go up the coast now,” said 
Professor Strong. a We want to stop at half a 
dozen places — the same that you are bound for — and 
we thought that perhaps you could carry us as far 
as Para.” 

“ That I will, professor, and glad to have you 
along.” 

“ Then you have room for us ? ” 

“ Yes, travel is light just now, so you can have all 
the room you wish.” 

“ That suits us, eh, boys? ” 

“ Exactly,” came from Frank. 

“We were wondering if you had heard anything 
more of that Barnabe Costavo,” put in Mark. 


ON THE WAY TO BAHIA 


183 


“ Did I ? ” exclaimed the captain. “ Well I should 
say so. He came here and tried to raise a big row. 
Had some court officials with him, and all that. 
But I shut down on him good and hard, and he left 
without getting any satisfaction. Has he bothered 
you ? ” 

“ No, we haven’t seen or heard of him.” 

“ Yesterday the Princess Alberta sailed from here 
for Para, and I understood from one of the mates 
that this Costavo and some of his companions took 
passage on her.” 

“ Then we may meet him up there,” said Sam. 

“ I don’t want to see him,” put in Jake. 

For the balance of the stay in Rio they took it 
easy. Once they hired a small sailboat and sailed 
around the bay and they also went out in a rowboat 
during the cool of the evening. They moved to the 
American Queen the night before she sailed, and by 
noon of the next day found themselves .once again 
on the bosom of the broad ocean. 

“ Good-by to Rio ! ” cried Sam, as they were leav- 
ing the harbor. “ It’s a nice city, but I don’t think 
I’d care to spend the rest of my days there.” 

The first stop of the vessel was to be at Bahia, on 
what is commonly known as All Saints Bay. As 


1 84 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

mentioned before this city is situated on the eastern 
coast of Brazil, and its distance from Rio is about 
eight hundred miles. 

“We don’t seem to be keeping very close to the 
coast,” remarked Frank, after the ship had been 
under way for several hours. 

“ The coast current is not to be depended upon,” 
answered Professor Strong. “ Most captains prefer 
to go outside. It is also much safer in case of a 
storm.” 

Late that afternoon they had a somewhat unusual 
experience. The steamer ran into a school of 
sharks, and the ugly monsters of the deep kept with 
the ship for fully three hours. There were hundreds 
of the creatures and it made the boys shudder to look 
at them. 

“ Southern waters are full of sharks, as I told you 
before,” said the professor. 

“ I heard a queer story about sharks in Santos,” 
said Sam. “ A Brazilian sailor told me that they 
won’t bite a black man.” 

“ I can’t say that I believe that story, Samuel. 
But I do believe that a shark prefers white meat to 
black. I have heard of two men falling overboard 
from a ship, one white and the other black, and the 


ON THE WAY TO BAHIA 1 85 

sharks all made after the white fellow and bit him 
in two places before he could be rescued.” 

“ Excuse me from falling into the grip of a 
shark,” said Darry. 

“ And me, too,” came from Jake, and he again 
thought of his narrow escape while in Nicaragua. 

To pass the time on shipboard, the professor gave 
the young explorers several talks on the places they 
were to visit, and also lent them some books on the 
subject and asked them to read the volumes. 

“ The full name of Bahia is Sao Salvador da 
Bahia,” said Professor Strong. “ It is an old city 
and the second in importance in Brazil. The place 
was visited by Amerigo Vespucci in 1503, but did 
not become of any importance until 1549. It was 
built mostly by the Jesuits, who defended it against 
the English in 1588. In 1623 the Dutch took it 
and held it for two years, after which it passed into 
the hands of the Portuguese. Until 1763 it was the 
capital of Brazil.” 

“ If it's the second city in importance it must 
have a good many inhabitants,” said Sam. 

“ Statistics in regard to population are hard to 
get down here, but Bahia is to-day popularly sup- 
posed to have two hundred and fifty thousand in- 


l8 6 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

habitants. The bay on which it faces is a very fine 
one, and the town is located at the bottom and top 
of a steep hill.” 

“ There must be some fun getting from one part 
to the other,” came from Darry. 

“ The lower portion of the town is connected with 
the upper by long flights of broad stone steps, and 
in former years everything had to be carried down 
and up these steps, and people who wanted to ride 
had to do so in chairs carried by negro chairmen. 
But about thirty years ago a powerful hydraulic 
elevator was put in, so anybody who wants to ride 
can do so.” 

“ Somebody was telling me about the blacks of 
Bahia,” said Frank. “ Are they a superior people? ” 

“ The population of Bahia is about half black and 
mulatto, and the black people are to a large extent 
superior to many others of the same race. Many 
of them are well formed and really handsome, and 
you will find a large number who are well educated. 
Their being educated is due to the fact that Bahia 
is second to no other city in Brazil in ecclesiastical 
institutions and church schools.” 

“ Is it a coffee port too? ” asked Darry. 

“ To a certain extent, Dartworth, but Bahia also 


ON THE WAY TO BAHIA 


87 


exports sugar, cotton, rice, tobacco, rum, cocoa- 
nuts, gold, and diamonds, as well as dyestuffs, and 
roots and herbs for medicines. ,, 

“ Gold, and diamonds ! ” cried Jake. “ I’d like to 
see them dug from the ground.” 

“ Gold is found along the San Francisco River, 
and diamonds have been located to the north of the 
Peraguass River. These districts are far away from 
the seaport, so we will hardly have a chance to visit 
them.” 

“ We might make a trip to them,” grumbled the 
lank youth. 

“ Along the coast, for a distance of two hundred 
miles inland, the country is very productive and con- 
tains many villages and plantations. But back of 
this stretch there are barren hills and mountains, 
containing hardly any population. You would find 
a trip to that territory hardly as interesting as you 
anticipated.” 

“ Do you suppose the mineral wealth has been 
thoroughly explored ? ” questioned Sam, with deep 
interest. 

“ By no means. The main reason for this is that 
the roads are very bad, and it is next to impossible 
to climb over some of the hills and mountains, 


1 88 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

either on horseback or on foot. Then again, food 
is scarce in certain regions, and in others the water is 
hardly fit for drinking. All this makes a prospec- 
tor’s work very discouraging.” 

“ But if a fellow could locate a big diamond 
mine ” began Jake. 

“ It is not likely, Jacob, according to the views of 
most scientists. The formation of the soil and rocks 
is entirely different from that of South Africa, where 
the big diamonds come from. They have found 
amethysts in the state of Bahia, and the locality is 
also rich in iron, copper, and the like.” 


CHAPTER XIX 


NEWS OF AN OLD ENEMY 

The city of Bahia lies on a small peninsula, the 
eastern shore of which borders on the broad At- 
lantic, with its mighty swells, and the western shore 
the peaceful waters of the bay, a harbor that is as 
safe for ships as that at Rio. Toward the south the 
peninsula runs to a small point and here is located 
a large lighthouse, a familiar landmark to all mari- 
ners of these waters. There is another lighthouse on 
the southern boundary of the bay, and the broad 
sheet of water is dotted with islands of various 
sizes. 

The run to All Saints Bay was made without 
special incident and soon the American Queen came 
to anchor, and the professor and the young explorers 
went ashore. They found the docks piled high with 
merchandise of all descriptions, and negro stevedores 
and porters were in evidence everywhere. 

“ Business is certainly humming here,” observed 

189 


190 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Frank. “ And the blacks are as big and burly as 
one could imagine.” 

They had turned all of their baggage over to a 
local transportation company and were driven in a 
rattling bond through the narrow and dirty streets 
to the bottom of the hydraulic elevator the professor 
had mentioned. Many of the streets which they 
passed were little better than alleyways, with hovels 
huddled close together, and dirty children and 
equally dirty grown people swarming from every 
quarter. 

“ This is the old town, and though many of these 
residents might have it better elsewhere they refuse 
to move,” said Amos Strong. “ They are as at- 
tached to their crowded quarters as are some of the 
Jews and other people of the East Side in New 
York City.” 

“ But nothing in the East Side is quite as bad as 
this,” said Mark, who felt bound to stand up for the 
city that was his home. 

They were soon in the elevator, and a few minutes 
more found them on the streets of the new part of 
Bahia. Here the thoroughfares were wider and 
cleaner, and the shops and houses looked to be 
equally comfortable. There were also a number of 


NEWS OF AN OLD ENEMY I9I 

parks, or public squares, filled with various kinds of 
shade trees and many of the streets were lined with 
banana and orange trees. The majority of the 
passers-by were well dressed and a few were really 
elegantly attired. 

“ This looks like quite another city,” said Mark, 
as they rode along in another bond to one 
of the hotels. “ Those orange trees are simply 
great.” 

“ And look at the banana trees,” came from Sam. 
“ What a fine thing to walk along here when the 
bananas are ripe.” 

“ Yes, indeed,” put in Darry, with a twinkle in 
his eye. “ Especially if you happened to be looking 
at something and suddenly put your foot on a fallen 
banana. Maybe you wouldn’t get a tumble.” And 
then there was a general laugh. 

After arriving at the hotel, the professor had to 
go off, to look up certain money matters, and he 
left the youths to shift for themselves. They de- 
cided to take a long walk and visit such places of 
interest as struck their fancy. 

“ Let us make a tour of some of the shops,” sug- 
gested Mark. “ Perhaps we’ll be able to pick up 
some real curiosities to send home.” 


I9 2 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

The others agreed, and soon they were down on 
the street where stores and shops seemed to be most 
numerous. All sorts of goods were for sale, and 
they stopped to gaze in one place after another. 
While they were doing this an American voice 
hailed them and caused them to look around in 
surprise. 

“ By Jove, but I am glad to see you fellows ! ” 
came from J. Langnack Green. “ Never so glad to 
see anybody in my life, don’t you know.” 

They stared at the young man, and with good 
reason. His clothing was soiled and torn, his face 
unshaven, and he had about him a general air of 
neglect. 

“ How do you do?” answered Mark coolly. 
Green then glanced at Hockley, but Jake did not 
condescend to speak to the fellow whom he had made 
his boon companion in Rio. 

“ Well, I’m not doing at all, don’t you know,” 
answered J. Langnack Green. “ Came up to 
this beastly city four days ago and got cheated 
out of every dollar of my money by a lot of 
sharpers.” 

“ That is certainly rough,” put in Sam, who felt 
bound to say something. 


NEWS OF AN OLD ENEMY 


193 


“ My dear friend, rough is not the word. It is 
horrid, simply horrid. And that isn’t the worst of 
it, either. I have cabled to my aunt for more funds, 
don’t you know, but the hotel keeper won’t wait till 
the money comes and he has threatened to put me out 
on the street. Think of it, me, J. Langnack Green, 
belonging to one of the oldest families in New 
York, to be put out like a common beat. Isn’t it 
enough to make one’s blood boil ? ” 

“ How did the sharpers happen to cheat you out of 
your money? ” questioned Frank. 

“ Oh, they were very clever. One was an Ameri- 
can and the others were Brazilians, and they got me 
interested in a gold mine up here in the hills. I 
didn’t really know much about it, but one of the 
men said he could make five thousand dollars inside 
of two weeks if he had three hundred dollars cash 
to put up just that morning. He said if I would lend 
him the cash he would give me good security and 
give me a thousand dollars in two weeks for my 
trouble.” 

“ You were easy,” said Mark, who could not help 
laughing at the dude. “ So you put up ? What se- 
curity did he give you ? ” 

“ A lot of Spanish bonds which he said were 


194 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

worth ten per cent, more than their face value. Here 
they are,” and J. Langnack Green pulled a packet of 
greasy-looking scrip from his pocket. 

“ Have you asked a banker about them ? ” asked 
Jake curiously. 

“ Yes, three of them, and all say they are worth 
about five cents each as curiosities.” 

“ And what became of the sharpers ? ” asked 
Darry. 

“ I don’t know.” The dude heaved a long sigh. 
“ You will help me out, won’t you ? ” And he 
gazed from one to another appealingly. 

“ I guess we can do something for you,” said 
Mark, after an awkward pause. “ But I think you 
were very foolish to trust strangers.” 

“ I suppose I was, but really, they appeared such 
nice men, don’t you know. The American told me 
that one of the others was related to the royal 
family of Spain ! ” 

“ Do you believe he was? ” 

“ I don’t believe it — now. I did when he told me, 
though.” 

“ What was the American’s name ? ” questioned 
Frank. 

“ He gave his name as James Haverlock, but I 


NEWS OF AN OLD ENEMY 


195 


once saw a note-book he carried and the name in that 
was Daniel Markel.” 

“ Dan Markel ! ” ejaculated several of the young 
explorers in concert. 

“ The fellow who once swindled Jake,” added 
Frank. 

“ I thought you fellows met Markel on the Island 
of Martinique,” came from the youth mentioned. 
“ You said he was arrested there for robbing one of 
the plantations that had suffered from the volcano 
eruption.” 

“ So we did meet him,” answered Darry. “ And 
the last we saw of him he was being marched off to 
jail for his crime. He must have gotten away some- 
how.” 

“ That might have been easy — with everybody 
upset on account of the volcano disaster,” put in 
Mark. “ But let us make sure if it was Markel.” 

They described the sharper from Baltimore to 
Green and by comparing notes soon reached the con- 
clusion that it must have been Dan Markel beyond a 
doubt. The dude could not give the names of 
Markel’s Brazilian confederates, saying he had 
heard them, but they had slipped his memory. 

Hockley had been of a mind to treat J. Langnack 


I96 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Green distantly, for he had not forgotten the affair 
at the military gathering in the Rio park, but the 
fact that the dude had suffered at the hands of a 
rascal who had once made himself suffer caused him 
to change his determination. 

“ I know Markel to my sorrow,” he said bluntly. 
“ He’s as slick as they make ’em. It’s a great pity 
he got away from you. Of course you don’t know 
where he went to ? ” 

“ I think he sailed away.” 

“ He’d be likely to do that,” put in Mark. “ Es- 
caping to some place into the interior would not be 
so easy. If he took a train he might be stopped by a 
telegram.” 

Further conversation with J. Langnack Green re- 
vealed the fact that he had not had a square meal 
that day. He also needed a new coat and a hat, and 
without more ado the boys “ chipped in ” to the 
amount of twenty-five dollars and gave it to him as 
a loan. 

“ The finest fellows I ever met, upon my honor,” 
.said J. Langnack Green, much relieved. “ I’ll pay 
you back as soon as I hear from my aunt.” 

A clothing shop was not far off, and the whole 
party went to this, where the dude was fitted with a 


NEWS OF AN OLD ENEMY 197 

new coat and hat. The style was by no> means what 
he desired, but his loss had humbled him and he took 
what he could get without murmuring. Then they 
moved to a restaurant, the young explorers to treat 
themselves to a light lunch while Green filled up on 
a more substantial meal. 

“ Tve had some trying times since I left Rio,” 
said J. Langnack Green, while he was eating. “ I 
came up to Bahia in a sailing vessel and we struck 
two heavy squalls. I was sick nearly all the time, 
don’t you know. Oh, it was beastly ! ” 

“ What do you intend to do next ? ” asked Mark. 

“ I don’t know yet. It — er — it depends somewhat 
on how much my aunt sends me. I cabled for three 
hundred dollars, but she doesn’t like to send me too 
much at a time.” 

The dude wanted to talk to Jake about the affair 
in Rio, but the tall youth would give him no chance. 
Then the conversation drifted around to the question 
of what the young explorers meant to do next, and 
J. Langnack Green said he was going to Para and 
up the Amazon, too. 

“ Perhaps we can go together,” said he. 

“ Perhaps,” said Mark, coldly. “ You’ll have to 
arrange with Professor Strong about that.” 


198 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

After the meal they separated, the dude to learn if 
any message had yet come for him and the others to 
continue their sightseeing. J. Langnack Green 
promised to call upon them at the hotel that evening, 
he having stopped at another resort since coming to 
Bahia. 

“ He makes me tired all over,” said Darry, when 
they were out of hearing. “ I can’t stand him at all.” 

“ He says he is coming to stop at our hotel,” said 
Frank. “ I suppose we’ll have to put up with him 
as long as we stay in this city.” 

“ Well, I’m not going to have any more to do with 
him,” said Jake bluntly. “ I’ve had my dose, and 
that’s enough.” 

From one place of interest the young explorers 
passed to another. They visited the cathedral, the 
lyceum, the seminary, and the library, and then an 
old church said to date back to the fifteenth century. 

“ They tell me that the marble for that cathedral 
was brought all the way from Lisbon,” said Sam, 
who had been reading up on the subject. “ If that 
is so, it must have cost a large sum to erect the 
building.” 

In the newer part of Bahia are located the consul- 
ates of various nations, each with the national colors 


NEWS OF AN OLD ENEMY 


199 


displayed. They looked in at these places also, and 
Mark and Jake to'ok several pictures. Then, feeling 
somewhat tired, they walked to one pf the public 
squares and sat down on a couple of the long 
benches. 

“ It’s quite interesting,” said Frank. “ But to- 
morrow I want ” 

What Frank wanted on the morrow he did not 
tell just then, for at that instant a little monkey that 
had been perched in one of the trees of the park came 
down, and after looking at the youth curiously for 
a moment, gave a little cheep, leaped up, and cud- 
dled down in the boy’s lap. 


CHAPTER XX 

PARKIE THE MONKEY 

“ Hullo! Frank has made a new friend! ” cried 
Mark, as he gazed at the little monkey in astonish- 
ment. 

“ He seems to be tame/’ put in Sam. “ Perhaps 
he is somebody’s pet.” 

Frank began to pet the little creature, and Darry 
passed up a cracker he had slipped into his pocket at 
the restaurant. The monkey accepted the cracker 
gladly and then touched his forehead with his paw 
and bowed twice. 

“ He is certainly somebody’s pet,” observed Mark. 
“ If he wasn’t he wouldn’t do anything like that.” 

“ If you are somebody’s pet, where do you be- 
long?” asked Frank, addressing the affectionate 
creature, but the monkey only cheeped in answer. 

“ He can’t give his home address,” said Darry, 
with a laugh. “ Ypu’ll have to take him with you, 
Frank.” 


200 


PARKIE THE MONKEY 


201 


“ I am willing enough to do that, if the professor 
will allow it,” was the quick answer. 

“Hurrah! Frank has added another member to 
the party,” cried Mark. “ What will you name him, 
Frank? ” 

“ Better call him Number Seven,” suggested Sam. 
“ He’ll make number seven, you know.” 

“ Thanks, but I’m not going to number him, like 
a convict, or a Hungarian coal miner,” retorted 
Frank. He mused for a second. “ I have it. He 
was found in this little park, so why not call him 
Parkie ? ” 

“ Good enough,” came from several of the others. 

The little monkey ate the cracker quickly, showing 
that he was hungry. Then a street peddler came 
along with some cakes and candies, and they pur- 
chased all they wished for themselves and all the 
monkey wanted too. 

When they returned to the hotel they found the 
monkey perfectly willing to accompany them. He 
would go to each one when called, but always came 
back to Frank. 

“ He has accepted you as his master,” said Jake. 
“ And, if you’ll let him, the chances are that he’ll 
stay with you as long as he lives.” 


202 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


When Amos Strong saw the monkey, and real- 
ized what a cute little fellow he was, he appeared as 
delighted as his pupils. 

“ If nobody calls for him, you can keep him,” he 
said to Frank. “ I once owned a monkey, during 
my travels in French Guiana, and he was as much 
company as a good dog.” 

The professor listened with keen interest to what 
they had to tell concerning Langnack Green and 
the dude’s doings with Dan Markel. 

“ That Markel is certainly like a bad penny, turn- 
ing up when not wanted,” he said. “ It is not likely 
that Green will ever see his money again.” 

“ We’ve been wondering what we had best do 
about Green,” said Mark. 

“ You have done all that he can expect of you. 
As soon as he gets the money sent for, he should 
pay back what he has borrowed.” 

“ But he wants to travel with us,” came from 
Jake. “ I’m sure I don’t want him.” 

Amos Strong shook his head decidedly. 

“ Neither do I want him. Of course we 
can’t stop him from traveling where we do, but 
he cannot become one of pur party. That is 
final.” 


PARKIE THE MONKEY 


203 


The young tourists had expected to see J. Lang- 
nack Green that night, but to their wonder the dude 
did not show himself, nor did he appear the next 
day. 

“ Perhaps he has gotten into more trouble,” said 
Sam. “ Well, if he has, he can get himself out of 
it without our aid; ” and the others agreed with 
him. ' 

During the next two days the young explorers 
continued to visit the various points of interest in 
and near Bahia. They spent two hours at the na- 
tional mint, seeing the bullion turned into gold and 
silver coins of various denominations, and they also 
visited a large cigar factory and a spice mill. At 
the latter place the “spices were flying everywhere, 
and they did a large amount of sneezing before they 
came away. Jake also visited, with Frank, a lumber 
yard and a large sawmill, and took several pictures 
of the kind desired by his father. 

The change in the former bully was certainly 
wonderful. His overbearing manner had entirely 
disappeared, and it was only on rare occasions that 
his face clouded down into the scowl that had been 
so habitual with him. The tall youth was trying his 
best to control his temper and it was hard work, as 


204 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

every boy knows who has at one time or another 
been the victim of his passion. 

" I wonder if Jake will ever break loose again,” 
said Frank to Mark. 

“ Perhaps — a fellow can’t cure himself in a day, 
you know. But if he does break loose, Frank, we 
ought to do all we can to mend matters.” 

“ I agree with you there.” 

On Sunday the party attended one of the English 
churches in Bahia and heard a very good sermon. 
The preacher spoke of the many blessings this life 
contained for every one, and how each should be 
thankful, and the boys were much impressed. 

“ That minister spoke as if he meant it,” said 
Sam. 

“ Well, he does mean it,” answered Amos Strong. 
“ He has been here for years and has done an in- 
calculable amount of good, both among the rich 
and the poor. He is the sort of missionary that 
counts for something.” 

By Monday afternoon the American Queen was 
ready to leave Bahia and they went on board once 
more, Frank taking Parkie, the monkey, with him. 
The little simian had by this time made himself per- 
fectly at home, and Frank had taught him several 


PARKIE THE MONKEY 


205 


new tricks, of which both the young explorer and 
his charge appeared equally proud. 

“ Another passenger, eh ? ” said Captain Barton, 
as he looked at Parkie. “ Reckon I’ll have to make 
him sign articles for the voyage,” and he smiled 
broadly. 

“ One thing is sure, you haven’t a sailor on board 
who can go up a mast any quicker,” answered 
Frank. 

“ I've got an old friend of yours on board,” went 
on the master of the American Queen. “ Took a 
stateroom early this morning.” 

“ Who?” 

“ Mr. J. Langnack Green. He says he is going 
through to Para with you.” 

The news proved correct, and a little later the 
dude presented himself, dressed in a new suit .of 
clothes and as spick and span as ever. 

“ Been having quite a good deal of trouble,” said 
he, after paying back thedoan. “ Otherwise I would 
have come back to the hotel, don’t you know. It 
was about that money my aunt sent. The beastly 
bankers wouldn’t let me have a dollar until I had 
proved a whole mess of things. Bahia is a truly 
horrible city, I’m glad to leave it.” 


206 young explorers of the amazon 


“ We found it very interesting/' answered Mark. 

“ The black folks are so nice-looking,” put in 
Darry, with a wink at his chums. “ Didn’t you 
think they were real beauties ? ” 

“ My gracious, no ! ” gasped the dude. “ I — I de- 
test them, don’t you know.” 

“ By the way,” went on Darry, turning to Mark 
with another wink. “ What became of that fat col- 
ored woman who came to the hotel looking for her 
lost baby? She didn’t find that baby, did she? ” 

“ I — I don’t think so,” answered Mark. He knew 
that Darry was up to some joke, but could not sur- 
mise what. 

“ She said some traveler had stolen her little 
baby,” went on the fun-loving youth. “ She thought 
the baby had been carried off to one of the ships in 
the harbor.” 

“ That’s rather interesting,” said J. Langnack 
Green. 

“ It will be interesting for the person who car- 
ried off the baby — especially if that colored mother 
finds it out.” 

“ A man who would carry off a baby, even a 
colored baby, ought to be hanged,” came from Jake. 

“ The colored woman was looking for a young 


PARKIE THE MONKEY 


20 7 


man,” went on Darry. “ If he’s got her baby he 
had better look put.” 

Shortly after this talk the young explorers sepa- 
rated from the dude, and the others at once sur- 
rounded Darry and wanted to know what was in 
the wind. 

“ I was thinking of Parkie,” said Darry. “ He’ll 
make a first-class colored baby, if we can find any 
long clothes for him.” 

“ Good ! ” laughed Sam. “ Are you going to put 
him in Green’s stateroom ? ” 

“ Yes, and then have somebody institute a search 
for the long-lost baby.” 

Among the passengers were a couple from Eng- 
land. They had a daughter of nine with them, and 
this miss possessed several dolls, all with long dresses 
and one with a tiny cap. This outfit was borrowed 
by Darry and Sam, and Parkie was dressed up in a 
manner that was new to him. But he was on his 
good behavior, and, after looking the dress over with 
care and biting on the buttons, he consented to wear 
it without a murmur. 

Several of the passengers had heard the talk about 
the stolen colored baby, and these now came to Darry 
for the particulars. They were let into the joke, and 


208 young explorers of the amazon 

one old merchant, a fat and jolly personage, con- 
sented to help the affair along all he could. 

“ Strange that that colored woman can’t find that 
baby,” he said to another passenger, in the hearing 
of J. Langnack Green. “ She says it must be on 
board of this ship. I believe she is going to have 
the staterooms searched.” 

“ She had better — before we get too far from 
land. If that kid is found on this ship, more than 
likely somebody will be arrested,” was the answer 
of the other passenger. 

A little while after this J. Langnack Green started 
to go down to his stateroom. Instantly Darry beck- 
pned for the others to follow him. 

“ Hullo, Green ! ” he called out when below. 
“ Have you had your stateroom ransacked yet.” 

“ Ransacked ? ” repeated the dude in perplexity. 

“ Yes — I mean by that colored woman and the 
detective.” 

“ Goodness gracious, I haven’t her baby ! ” 

“ Well, they claim it must be somewhere on this 
ship.” 

“ I hate babies, don’t you know. She had better 
not come near me,” answered J. Langnack, and en- 
tered his stateroom, slamming the door after him. 


PARKIE THE MONKEY 


209 


“ Now for fun ! ” whispered Darry, and crept up 
to the door, followed by the others. 

The fun was not long in coming. The dude made 
a light and turned toward his berth, and then they 
heard an exclamation. 

“ Goodness gracious ! ” came pantingly. “ What 
in the world is this? It must be that colored 
woman’s baby! Oh, my, who was horrid enough 
to leave it here? I’ll have to tell the captain about 
this, I really will, don’t you know! Oh, dear! oh, 
dear ! what will the rest of the passengers say ? And 
that colored woman, she’ll say I stole it ! ” J. Lang- 
nack Green gave a groan. “ This is positively the 
worst mess I ever saw in my life! It’s enough to 
drive one mad ! ” 

The others listening at the door had all they could 
do to keep from screaming outright. Frank started 
to laugh, but Darry clapped a hand over his mouth. 

“ Don’t give it away yet,” he whispered. “ Come 
on in and accuse Green of having taken the baby 
because he wanted to adopt a son ! ” 

And then he opened the stateroom door and led the 
way inside. 


CHAPTER XXI 


A BRIEF STOP AT PERNAMBUCO 

“ I don't believe that baby is here at all, no matter 
what the colored woman says/' said Darry in a loud 
voice. “ What would Green want of the child? ” 

“ Folks do queer things sometimes,” replied Sam, 
in an equally loud tone. “ Now I know — well, I 
never ! ” 

“ Hullo, here is the baby as sure as you are born ! ” 
cried Frank, and hurried over to the berth, for 
Parkie showed strong signs of hopping up to sit on 
his shoulder. “You poor little kid!” And he 
took up the monkey and held the animal so that the 
dude could only get a sight of the long dress and 
the cap. 

“ Well, I must say I didn’t think this of you,” said 
Mark, addressing J. Langnack in a serious tone. 
“ Why, Green, it’s simply awful ! ” 

“ That woman insisted her baby must be here,” 
chimed in Darry. 


j 



210 



“Hullo, here is the baby as sure as you are born!” 
cried Frank . — Page 210. 






A BRIEF STOP AT PERNAMBUCO 


2 1 1 


The dude looked from one to the other in com- 
mingled astonishment and despair. He wrung his 
hands and his breath came thick and fast. 

“ Now see here,” he began, “ I didn’t, upon my 
honor — I — oh, this is simply dreadful! I just came 
down and ” 

“ It is dreadful,” interrupted Darry. “ But what 
made you do it? Now you’ll have to go back to 
Bahia and stand trial, and think of the scandal, 
Green — running off with the baby of a poor colored 
woman ! ” And he shook his curly head sorrow- 
fully. 

“ See here, this is a beastly mistake, don’t you 
know ! ” roared the dude. “ I — I didn’t take that 
baby — never saw it before.” 

“ But it was here, in your stateroom,” insisted 
Frank. “ It’s a clear case, Green.” 

“ Yes, you might as well acknowledge it,” came 
from Mark. “ Better go to the colored lady and 
beg her pardon.” 

“ Say you did it while you were suffering 
from a stroke of mental paralysis,” suggested 
Sam. 

“ But I didn’t do it, I tell you ! ” almost shouted 
the dude. Then he wrung his hands again. “ Oh, 


212 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

this is truly horrible! I wish I was back in New 
York! ” 

“ I’ve got an idea,” said Frank suddenly. “ Let 
us help Langnack out of the scrape. We can take 
the baby away on the sly and land it in the colored 
woman’s stateroom. She won’t know where it came 
from.” 

“ That’s the talk,” put in Darry, another thought 
striking him. “ Come on.” 

“ Oh, you are so good ! ” gasped the dude. “ Get 
the baby away and I’ll — I’ll do anything for you! 
Get it away quick ! ” 

“ We will,” said Frank, and bolted for the door, 
for Parkie could be kept quiet no longer. 

“ You stay here for a while,” said Darry to the 
dude. “ Don’t let that colored woman see you,” 
and he went after Frank, and the others followed. 
Out in the corridor Parkie was stripped of the doll’s 
clothes and the garments were put out of sight. 

“ Say, but this is a rare good joke,” observed Jake. 
“ Best I ever saw.” 

“ You can finish it up, Jake, if you wish,” said 
Darry. “ Play colored lady and go to the door and 
demand the baby.” 

If there was one thing Hockley could do well it 


A BRIEF STOP AT PERNAMBUCO 


213 


was to imitate the talk of a colored person, and he 
had often amused the boys at the academy by giving 
dialect recitations. 

“ Yes, go by all means ! ” cried Sam. “ We’ll go 
with you.” 

“ But I don’t care to black up,” answered the tall 
youth. 

“ You won’t have to. Green will keep that door 
shut and locked, take my word for it.” 

They hurried back to the door and Darry went 
ahead. 

“ I tell you, madam, the baby isn’t down here,” 
he said, loud enough for the dude to hear. 

“ Dun yo’ tell me nuffin’ like dat, chile,” came 
from Jake in strong negro accents. “ I’se gwine 
to fin’ ma baby, do yo’ yeah ? Dar’s sumfin’ a-tellin’ 
me dat ma baby is right down in dis room.” 

“ But, madam ” went on Darry, who could 

scarcely keep from laughing as he heard the lock on 
the door turned from the inside. 

“ An’ if dat bol’, bad man has got my baby, I’se 
gwine to make it mos’ awful hot fo’ him, yo’ min’ 
dat ! ” went on Jake, apparently in high anger. 
Then he knocked loudly on the door. 

At first there was no response, and he knocked 


214 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

again and then made a move as if to shove on the 
door. 

“ Madam, what do you — er — want? ” asked Green 
in <a shaky voice. 

“ Yo’ know well enough what I wants, yo’ mean 
white trash,” answered Jake. 

“ Ton my honor I do not.” 

“ I wants ma baby.” 

“ I haven’t your baby, madam — I haven’t any- 
body’s baby. I want you to go away and leave me 
alone.” 

“ Do yo’ dare deny dat yo’ took dat chile? ” 

“ I do, madam, I do deny it,” cried J. Langnack 
Green vehemently. “ Now please go away, that’s 
a good woman. Go away and I’ll give you — er — 
I’ll give you five dollars ! ” 

“ I’se gwine to see de cap’n an’ dat ’tective ’bout 
dis,” answered Jake, and moved off, and the others 
went with him. They bolted straight for the state- 
room occupied by Mark and Frank, and here in- 
dulged in a laugh that lasted for a long time. 

“ Poor Green is scared out of his wits,” said Sam. 
“ He won’t dare to leave that stateroom for a week.” 

“ Jake, you ought to go on the stage,” said Darry, 
and this pleased Hockley a good deal. 


A BRIEF STOP AT PERNAMBUCO 


215 


The joke soon went the round of the ship and 
caused many a laugh. Green did not appear that 
night, and in the morning Darry went to him and 
told him it was all over. 

“ The woman is gone and so is the baby,” he said. 
“ Everybody knows it was a mistake, so you are all 
right. But if I were you I wouldn’t say a word 
about it.” 

“ I’ll keep mum,” replied J. Langnack. “ But it 
was dreadful, wasn’t it? ” he went on. “ Never had' 
such a dreadful experience in my life, never ! ” 

The run up the coast from Bahia to Pernambuco 
took but three days. During that time the sky 
was clouded over continuously, and it showered six- 
teen times, according to a record kept by Sam. On 
the day they sailed it was fairly cool, but it grew 
warmer, showing that they were again drawing 
closer to the equator. On board the ship but little 
could be seen except the sullen clouds and the 
greenish-blue waves. Once a flock of birds circled 
around the ship and alighted on the masts and rails. 
This pleased Parkie, and the little fellow did his 
best to catch some of the birds, but without success. 

Frank was now strongly attached to his new pet, 
and all of the others thought a good deal of the little 


216 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

fellow. Darry taught him to jump back and forth 
through a hoop, as if jumping a rope, and Frank 
made for him a wooden gun and taught him to 
shoulder and present arms. 

“ He’ll do to go in a monkey circus by the time 
we get home,” observed Mark. 

“ He shall never go into a public exhibition,” an- 
swered Frank. “ Fm going to keep him for a 
private pet — that is, if nobody comes to claim 
him.” 

“ Pernambuco is the most easterly city of im- 
portance in Brazil,” said the professor on the day 
that they entered the harbor. “ It is also called 
Recife, and is the capital of the State of Pernam- 
buco. As you can see, it lies on very low ground, 
and in former years was considered one of the most 
unhealthy of ports. But the sanitary conditions 
have been changed, and to-day the city is no worse 
than others in the tropics.” 

“ It seems to be divided into several parts,” said 
Mark. 

“ Yes, the lower part of the city is divided into 
three parts by inlets from the sea. There is no high 
ground whatever until you reach Olinda, eight miles 
to the north.” 


A BRIEF STOP AT PERNAMBUCO 


217 


“ It looks to be* as big as Bahia,” came from 
Sam. 

“ It is not quite as large as that port, but is of 
equal importance, for all vessels sailing from Lisbon 
to Rio stop at Pernambuco, and many ships from the 
United States and Cuba, and also from Central 
America, stop here. It is a great shipping place for 
cattle, which are raised on the plains bordering the 
banks of the San Francisco River.” 

“ I was reading of some large cotton plantations 
here,” said Darry. 

“ The cotton and sugar plantations are mostly to 
the westward, and the products are brought into the 
city by railroad or by carts. One cotton plantation, 
lying two hundred miles inland, is very extensive, 
and the value of the annual crop foots up to a good 
many thousands of dollars.” 

“ I’ve heard a good deal about Pernambuco 
wood,” said Jake. “ A friend of mine had a violin 
bow made of it.” 

“ Yes, it is a favorite wood for violin bows, 
Jacob, and for a good many other things requiring 
elasticity and a high polish. It is really a species 
of dyewood, of which there are several varieties all 
known by the general name of Brazilwood. The 


2l8 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Pernambuco variety is a thorny tree, with spiked 
pods and having red and yellow flowers that are of 
peculiar sweetness.” 

“ Talking about Brazilwood, where do the Brazil 
nuts come from ? ” 

“We saw those on the Orinoco, and we’ll see 
more of them in the northern part of Brazil. They 
grow on a very large tree. The nuts come in a 
shell, many of them together, and the shell is six to 
twelve inches in diameter. The natives break these 
shells with large stones, and then lay the nuts out 
to dry, just as we lay out walnuts and hickory 
nuts.” 

“ I’d like to climb up one of those trees and 
get a few of those shells full of nuts,” came from 
Frank. 

“ I’m afraid, Frank, that climbing up would be 
rather difficult. The Brazil nut trees grow to a 
height of a hundred feet and more and the trunks 
are ten feet and over in diameter. More than 
that, the branches are all located near the top of 
the tree, the bottom of the trunk being perfectly 
smooth.” 

They were soon ashore at Pernambuco, and after 
a brief look around they were glad that the American 


A BRIEF STOP AT PERNAMBUCO 


219 


Queen was going to make a stop lasting only two 
days. 

“ It’s not very much different from Bahia/’ said 
Mark, “ excepting that it is not quite so clean.” 

Down near the steamer on which they had come 
in was a vessel equally large which was loading with 
cotton. It was an interesting sight to see the big 
bales hoisted on board and lowered into the hold. 
Negro stevedores were everywhere, and as they 
worked they sang in a low, monotonous chant that 
appeared to have no beginning or no ending. These 
negroes were but lightly clad. They perspired 
freely, and this caused their brownish bodies to 
glisten like polished metal. 

“ They seem to be happy,” said Sam. “ I wonder 
what they earn ? ” 

“ In days gone- by negro labor down here was 
very cheap,” answered the professor. “ But to-day 
they earn almost as much as do the plantation hands 
in our own Southern States. Many of these negroes 
have Indian blood in their veins, and a small portion 
of them are more Indian than they are black.” 

“ I haven’t seen many Indians yet,” said Frank. 

“ That is true, but you will see plenty of them at 
Para and on the Amazon. As a general rule the 


220 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


Indians, as in our country, do not take to the large 
cities. ,, 

“ Are they civilized ? ” asked Jake. 

“ Some of them appear to be. But other tribes, 
on the upper Amazon, are as wild as they were cen- 
turies ago.” 


CHAPTER XXII 


ABOUT BIRDS, BEASTS, BUTTERFLIES, AND OTHER 
THINGS 

While at Pernambuco the young explorers, in 
company with Professor Strong, visited Olinda, 
already mentioned in these pages. This town is 
located on a beautiful hill, and from one portion of 
it a fine view can be obtained of the Atlantic 
Ocean. 

At Olinda lived an old American planter named 
Jefferson Beldon. He had come to Brazil some 
twenty years before to engage in the cotton trade, 
and had made considerable money. He was 
known to Mark’s father, and the youth was, 
therefore, anxious to meet the gentleman and his 
family. 

“ I am very glad to know you,” said the old 
planter, after Mark had introduced himself and the 
others. “ Your father wrote to me that you were 
on a tour down here and might stop at Pernambuco. 


221 


222 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


While you are here you must make my house your 
home.” 

“ Thank you,” returned Mark. “ But we must 
get back to the seaport to-night, for our ship sails in 
the morning.” 

“ What ship is that? ” 

“ The American Queen, Captain Barton.” 

“ A good ship and a worthy captain — I know him 
well. What is your next stopping place ? ” 

“ Para. We are going up the Amazon.” 

“ Is it possible ! ” cried Jefferson Beldon. “ Why, 
I am going up the Amazon myself in the course of 
two or three weeks. You see,” he continued, “ I 
have sold out the interest I held in a cotton planta- 
tion here, and now I am thinking of investing in a 
rubber company that is operating on the Amazon 
and some of its branches. But before putting my 
money into the company I want to look over the 
ground.” 

“ That is where you are wise,” said Amos 
Strong. “ Some of those companies are good, but 
others ” 

“ Are made up of swindlers,” finished the old 
planter. “ Yes, I am well aware of that, professor. 
But this, I am inclined to believe, is all right, for 


ABOUT BIRDS, BEASTS, ETC. 223 

some of the men at its head are known to me. 
But I want to make sure that they are operating in 
the best place to get rubber. I have been given to 
understand that some of the localities have been 
worked out completely, and that the rubber trees are 
all but dead.” 

Jefferson Beldon introduced his wife and three 
daughters. The girls were about the age of the 
young explorers, and it did not take long for all to 
become friendly. While the old planter and the 
professor talked about the Amazon, Mrs. Beldon 
went out to have supper prepared for the guests, and 
the boys and girls spent the time in chatting, sing- 
ing, and in looking around the house and garden. 

“ You must have jolly times,” said Edith Beldon, 
the oldest of the sisters, to Mark. “ I wish we girls 
could travel around as you do.” 

“ We do have good times,” answered Mark. 
“ And we see many things that are new and strange 
to us.” 

“You had better get your father to take you up 
the Amazon with him,” suggested Frank. “ He 
said he was going most of the way on the regular 
steamer.” 

“ Oh, if only he would ! ” burst out Cora, the 


224 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

second in age. “ Then if we met up there we could 
all travel together.” 

“ I’d like to travel on the Amazon if I was sure 
I wouldn’t get bitten by some wild animal, or fall 
into the embrace of a boa-constrictor/’ put in Ella, 
the youngest of the girls. 

“ Oh, say, don’t mention boa-constrictors ! ” cried 
Jake with a shudder. 

“ Why, did you ever meet one ? ” questioned 
Edith. 

“ Yes, I did, and I should have been killed if it 
hadn’t been for Sam and Darry. They shot the 
thing just as it was crushing the life out of 
me.” 

After that there was nothing to do but to give 
the particulars of the affair (as already related in 
“Lost on the Orinoco”), and then the girls all 
voted Sam and Darry regular heroes. 

“ Would you kill a snake like that if it caught 
me? ” asked Ella archly of Sam. 

“ I might,” returned the boy from Boston, with 
a smile. “ But I shouldn’t wish you to let the snake 
catch you just to see what I would do,” he added. 
And then both laughed. 

“ Jake is a hero, too,” put in Frank. “ He res- 


ABOUT BIRDS, BEASTS, ETC. 


225 


cued Sam from a nasty tumble over a cliff,” and then 
the particulars of that happening had also to be 
told. 

From one tale the boys went to the next, and 
it was supper time before they realized it. 

“ Papa, we want to go up on the Amazon,” said 
Edith, while they were eating. “We want you to 
take us up on the steamer when you go to look at 
that rubber country.” 

“ Is that so ! ” cried the old planter, with a laugh. 
“ That’s easily said, but what would you do after 
you got there ? ” 

“ Go exploring, just as these young gentlemen are 
doing.” 

“ Do you think you could shoot a jaguar? ” asked 
Amos Strong, with a twinkle in his eye. 

“ No, I shouldn’t want to go near the beast.” 

“ We could stay on the steamer if it was neces- 
sary,” put in Cora; “only take us along, won’t 
you?” 

“ Yes, we want to go so much,” added Ella. 

“I’ll see about it,” answered Jefferson Beldon; 
and then the subject was changed. But the girls 
could not give up the idea thus suddenly formed, 
and when the planter started for Para he took 


226 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

them all with him, and his wife accompanied the 
party. 

J. Langnack Green had found life on shipboard 
very monotonous, and nothing at Pernambuco in- 
terested him. More than this, he was growing 
suspicious regarding the “ lost baby ” incident, and 
he kept wondering if that had not been Frank’s 
monkey the boys had taken from the berth in his 
stateroom. When he learned that the whole party 
had visited friends at Olinda, and that the lads had 
been royally entertained by three young ladies, he 
was more put out than ever. 

“ I wish you had told me about this, don’t you 
know,” he said to Darry. “ I should have liked 
awfully to have met the young ladies. Some of 
them consider me quite a charmer.” 

“ They were Mark’s friends,” answered Frank. 
“ Perhaps, if they go up the Amazon, and you do 
too, you’ll meet them later on.” 

“ This is a beastly city,” went on the dude. 
“ Mostly all black folks, and they stare at one so 
rudely. And what do you think? I had my shoes 
polished by one negro, and I had scarcely walked a 
block when an imp of a boy came up and covered one 
shoe with mud. Of course, I couldn’t go with one 


ABOUT BIRDS, BEASTS, ETC. 227 

shoe polished and the other dirty, so I had to go back 
and have the job done over again.” 

From Pernambuco the course was due north, past 
Parahyba and Natal, and then northwesterly for 
Para. Occasionally they stood in so close to the 
shore that the mountains and forests could be seen 
in the dim distance, but usually they were out 
of sight of land and also out of sight of the light- 
houses, of which the coast of Brazil contains not 
a few. 

“ Parahyba is of small importance, excepting to 
a limited coastwise trade,” said Professor Strong. 
“ But Natal is an old place, and there is considerable 
shipping from that port. It contains perhaps thirty 
thousand people, and is the capital of the State of 
Rio Grande do Norte. Like Pernambuco, it is 
located on low land, not far from where the Rio 
Grande empties into the Atlantic.” 

“ Shall we pass many other places of impor- 
tance? ” asked Jake. 

“ Only two between here and Para. They are 
Ceara, sometimes called Fortaleza, and Maranhao. 
Each of those cities is the capital of a State of the 
same name. They do a fair trade, and have behind 
them an immense stretch of territory, part of which 


228 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

is devoted to sugar, cotton, coffee, tobacco, and the 
raising of cattle. Dyestuffs are also gathered here 
and valuable building lumber, and a little mining 
is done. But there are miles and miles of territory 
without a single inhabitant, and here the soil is often 
rocky and unproductive.” 

“I see by the map that the mouth of the Amazon 
is directly at the equator,” said Frank. “ That 
ought to make it a pretty hot place. ,, 

“ The temperature of the whole eastern coast of 
Brazil is modified by the trade winds, which, as you 
know, blow almost constantly. It is when you get 
into the interior that you feel the heat, just as you 
felt it on the upper Orinoco and on the Isthmus of 
Panama.’' 

“What about the seasons at the equator?” said 
Frank. “ It seems to me that we are having a lot of 
wet weather lately.” 

“ Commonly speaking, the seasons are divided 
into but two parts — the wet and the dry. The wet 
season begins about Christmas and lasts until June. 
I think in former years the seasons were more 
marked than they are to-day. I have heard the 
Indians on the Amazon tell of rain lasting for three 
moons almost without ceasing, but I have never 


ABOUT BIRDS, BEASTS, ETC. 229 

seen it so. Usually it rains for a few days or a 
week and then lets up for a day or two, or else it 
will rain in the morning and clear up in the after- 
noon, and then rain again in the evening.” 

“ Perhaps the climate is changing just as it is 
changing around New York,” put in Frank. “ My 
father says the winters are not nearly as severe as 
they used to be. He says that one year the river 
was frozen over so they could walk from New York 
to Jersey City on the ice.” 

“ When the rain comes down it is sometimes very 
heavy, and the thunder and lightning is terrific and 
does tremendous damage to the trees. Along the 
Amazon you will sometimes see windfalls, where a 
hurricane has swept the ground clear of trees, bushes, 
and vines. But the break is soon covered up, for 
vegetation, on account of the heat and moisture, is 
very rapid. I once heard an old traveler say that 
if a man started to cut the brushwood off an acre 
plot on the Amazon he’d find, by the time he had 
reached the end, that the first half was completely 
overgrown again.” 

“ As bad as the foot-a-day vine in Venezuela,” 
said Jake. 

“ And the pumpkins that grew after they were 


230 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

gathered, and burst out the sides of the Yankee 
farmer’s barn,” came from Darry, and then all 
laughed. 

“ I suppose Parkie will find lots of relatives when 
we get on the Amazon,” said Frank. 

“ You are right there, Frank,” said Amos Strong. 
“ Monkeys can be found in an almost endless variety, 
from the howling monkey, such as you have already 
seen, to the sober sort that rarely makes a noise of 
any kind. You will also find a large variety of birds, 
from the eagle to the tiny humming-birds, and also 
a great number of pigeons and hoccos. There are 
red, blue, and green parrots, and orioles such as you 
never see anywhere else.” 

“ Then our trip up the Amazon is bound to be 
full of interest,” remarked Sam with deep satisfac- 
tion. “ Of course I’ll see some new kinds of butter- 
flies to add to my collection.” 

“ You will, Samuel. Some of the rarest speci- 
mens are found in that territory.” 

“ If I had the time and could carry them I’d make 
a collection of birds and have them stuffed,” came 
from Frank. “ As it is, if I get the chance I’m 
going to bring down the birds and clean ’em and 
send ’em home.” 


ABOUT BIRDS, BEASTS, ETC. 23 1 

“ I’m going to take up a fad, too put in Darry. 
“ Mark and Jake have their photos, Sam has butter- 
flies and geological specimens, and you’ll have your 
birds. I’m going to collect ferns, leaves, and 
flowers, and put them in a big book. You’ll help 
me classify them, won’t you, professor? ” 

“ Certainly, Dartworth ; and such a collection, 
when you get home, will be very valuable to you,” 


CHAPTER XXIII 


THE STOP-OFF AT PARA 

As the steamer approached the end of the trip the 
young explorers became more and more enthusiastic 
concerning the voyage up the mighty Amazon. 

“ Pm sure it’s going to be even more interesting 
than our trip up the Orinoco,” said Frank. “ Just 
think of sailing up the largest river in the world ! ” 

“ I didn’t much like what the professor said about 
the Indians,” came from Jake. “ I have no desire 
to get among a lot of savages.” 

“ Oh, I reckon they won’t hurt us if we treat them 
fairly,” put in Darry. “ Indians don’t generally 
fight unless they are imposed upon.” 

“ Much you know about it,” was the retort. 
“ History tells us better than that.” 

“ Well, if the Indians are unfriendly we can steer 
clear of them,” said Mark, and to avoid an argument 
he continued: “ How about your guns, boys? We 
haven’t had a chance to use them in quite a while.” 

232 


THE STOP-OFF AT PARA 


233 


“ Mine is O. K.,” came from Frank. “ I was 
looking at it last night.” 

The talk then became general about firearms, and 
in the end the young explorers and the professor 
spent a good two hours in cleaning and oiling their 
guns and small arms. Then they took turns at 
shooting at a target, just to “ get into the swing of 
it,” as Darry declared. All proved that they had 
lost none of the accuracy which Amos Strong had 
been at so much pains to teach them. 

The target shooting aroused a mild interest in 
J. Langnack Green. 

“ Quite fair, don’t you know,” he drawled. “ Not 
quite as good as it might be, but still it might be 
worse.” 

“ Of course you shoot,” said Frank. 

“ Never, my dear boy, never ! I think a gun is 
a beastly thing to handle.” 

“ And you expect to go up the Amazon ? ” de- 
manded Darry, with a wink at his friends. “ What 
do you expect to do if a jaguar, or a boa-constrictor 
thirty feet long, gets after you ? ” 

“ Goodness gracious ! ” 

“ Or a tribe of wild Indians set out to take your 
scalp,” put in Sam, who readily fell in with the joke. 


234 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Are there wild Indians there?” faltered the 
dude. 

“ I was reading in a book how the Indians caught 
two white men, cooked them, and ate them,” came 
from Frank, but he did not add that the book was 
about seventy-five years old and told of things that 
had happened in 1800. 

“ My dear boy, really you do not mean it ? ” 
J. Langnack turned pale. “ This is horrible ! I 
don’t want to be cooked and eaten — and I don’t 
want to be caught by a — a jaguar or a big snake 
either ! ” 

“ Perhaps you’d prefer to fall in with a puma,” 
suggested Frank. 

“ Or with some of the Amazonian blood-sucking 
bats,” put in Mark. “ They tell me they are to be 
found nearly everywhere and love to suck blood 
from a fellow’s big toe.” 

“ No ! no ! I want nothing of the kind ! ” cried the 
dude. “ I hate all wild animals, excepting they are 
in a menagerie.” 

“ You’d be safe enough if you could shoot well,” 
went on Darry. “ It’s nothing to knock over a 
jaguar, a puma, and a boa-constrictor in one fight 
if you have a double-barreled rifle and a good six- 


THE STOP-OFF AT PARA 


235 


shooter. The bats you have to strike with a long 
hunting-knife, for shooting them doesn’t seem to 
hurt them in the least,” he continued, doing his best 
to keep a sober face. 

“ Is — is the river shore full of wild beasts ? ” 

“ To be sure,” said Frank. “ You’ll see boatload 
after boatload of skins coming down, and sometimes 
a dead hunter or two with ’em. The slaughter is 
fearful. That’s what we thought you wanted to 
see.” 

“ It’s greater than the slaughter at the stock-yards 
in Chicago, isn’t it, Darry?” asked Sam. 

“ Much greater. Beans. Oh, you’ll be a regular 
Nimrod before you get home again, Green, if you 
once get into the swing of it.” 

“ Thanks, but I — I really don’t think I’ll try it,” 
answered the dude. “ I — I think I’ll go up as far 
as the steamer sails and then sail back again.” And 
here the “ jollying,” as Frank called it, had to come 
to an end, for from the lookout came a cry of land, 
which caused everybody to rush to the deck. 

Land was there, a dim, low-lying outline far to 
the westward. In its midst was a lighthouse. 

“ That is Point Malaya,” said Captain Barton, in 
reply to a question from one of the passengers. “ It 


236 


YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


is located about eighty miles from the entrance to 
the Para River/’ 

“ I didn’t know there was such a river,” said 
Darry to Frank. 

“ The Para River is really the Tocantins,” said 
Amos Strong, who overheard the remark. “ This is 
a stream several hundred miles long and rises almost 
due south of the city of Para, which, by the way, is 
sometimes called Belem. The Amazon River is 
just to the north of this stream, and a good portion 
of the water from the Amazon flows into the Para, 
or Tocantins, through a number of small streams 
and canals which lead from one waterway to the 
other.” 

“ Is Para on the river or on the ocean ? ” asked 
Jake. 

“ Para is located on the river, about seventy-five 
miles from the Atlantic. The Para is very broad, 
being forty miles wide at its mouth and twenty miles 
wide where the city is located. The north shore 
of the stream is formed by the island of Marajo, a 
body of land not quite a hundred and fifty miles 
square. To the north of this big island lie the 
mouths of the Amazon, with several smaller islands 
scattered between.” 


THE STOP-OFF AT PARA 


23 7 


“ How large a place is it ? ” questioned Mark. 

“ Para has a population of about seventy-five 
thousand. But the importance of the city is far in 
excess of its population, for virtually the whole of 
the trading on the Amazon is done through this 
port. Para has regular lines of steamers to the 
United States, England, France, Germany, and the 
Mediterranean, and a very large coast trade in addi- 
tion. There are also lines of steamers that run up 
the Amazon for a distance of two thousand miles, 
although some of the large vessels do not go half 
that distance.” 

“ I suppose rubber is the big thing down here,” 
came from Mark. 

“ About twenty-five years ago rubber formed 
three-quarters of the value of the total Amazonian 
trade. To-day, however, many other things are ex- 
ported, including cocoa, hides, nuts, and Peruvian 
bark, from which we get our quinine. The city is 
an old one, but in 1835 there was a revolution there 
that was very bloody, and many houses were 
destroyed, so that what you see now is mostly 
new.” 

The young explorers were surprised later on to 
be told that they had already entered the Para River. 


238 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Land was still visible on their lee, but the island of 
Marajo, to the north, was lost in the distance. 

“ The only change that I can see is in the color of 
the water,” said Mark. “It was blue before; now 
it is a dirty brown.” ^ 

“ Down here you will see all colors of water,” 
said Amos Strong. “ The Amazon proper is brown 
in some localities and reddish-brown in others; the 
Rio Negro is absolutely black; and certain smaller 
streams in the interior are bluish, greenish, and 
yellowish. T.tiis varied coloring comes, of course, 
from the soil and from the minerals.” 

It was not until the next morning that they 
reached Para, which is built on a sandy strip of land, 
backed up by heavy brushwood and what was once 
a heavy tropical forest, but which has of late years 
been stripped of its best timber by the sawmills in 
that vicinity. The young explorers found the city 
well laid out and clean. Many of the houses were 
but one story high, and painted white, blue, drab, or 
yellow, and with red-tiled roofs. 

“ These houses put me in mind of those at 
Caracas, in Venezuela,” said Frank. “ Don’t you 
remember the odd colorings ? ” 

But not all the buildings were* so small. Business 


THE STOP-OFF AT PARA 


239 


places were two and three stories high and modern 
in their construction. Many of these places were 
well stocked with goods of all descriptions, and busi- 
ness was fairly brisk, considering, as the professor 
said, that the rainy season was still at hand. There 
were the usual cathedral and public buildings, in- 
cluding a large public market, and also a handsome 
theater. The latter interested Jake very much. 

“ I do wish we could see a first-class show,” he 
pleaded. “ I don't care to go to the kind I used to 
talk about, but something that wo^ld be worth 
while.” 

“ We will see what is offered, Jacob,” answered 
the professor. He appreciated what a struggle the 
youth had had to keep himself from “ breaking 
loose,” and he was willing to do what he could to 
please all under his charge. 

Once more the party bid good-by to Captain Bar- 
ton, who was now going to sail to another port, and 
an hour later found them at the leading hotel of 
Para, located on one of the rises of ground back of 
the business portion of the town. Close at hand 
were many handsome villas belonging to the mer- 
chants and shipowners, many of whom could speak 
English, so that the boys felt quite at home. 


240 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

There were numerous things to be purchased in 
Para before starting up the Amazon, and for several 
days all of the party were busy. During that time 
Amos Strong made his arrangements for the trip, 
taking passage on a steamer belonging to the Ama- 
zon Navigation Company. Seeing this, J. Langnack 
Green also took passage, first, however, making cer- 
tain that he could return, if he wished, without set- 
ting foot on shore. 

The young explorers found that sightseeing in 
the vicinity of Para was limited, for directly back 
of the city were located immense stretches of swamp 
land, where the undergrowth was a perfect tangle. 

“ I reckon this is a taste of what we’ll get on the 
Amazon,” said Frank. “ Smell how green every- 
thing is ! ” And he drew in a long breath through 
his nose. 

On Thursday evening they attended the theater, 
much to Jake’s gratification. The play was a 
musical drama, given in German and Portuguese, 
by a company of foreign players. The boys did not 
understand what was said, but the singing was good, 
and the neat bits of comedy did not escape them, 
and they came away well content. 

“ I must say I liked it better than a vaudeville,” 


THE STOP-OFF AT PARA 


24I 


admitted Jake. “ That last chorus was simply great, 
and so was that part of the rich society fellow who 
thought he was drafted for the war and was afraid 
to go. ,, 

“ Speaking, of society fellows puts me in mind of 
Green,” said Mark. “ I can’t understand why he 
is going up the Amazon.” 

“ I guess he thinks it will be something big to talk 
about when he gets home,” answered Frank — and 
struck the nail squarely on the head. 

The vessel going up the Amazon was to leave 
Para on Tuesday morning, so the young explorers 
had still several days to spend in the town. They 
visited the market and looked with interest at the 
heaps of bananas, vegetables, and nuts displayed, 
and also the fish, fowls, and birds. The pineapples 
were delicious, and they ate one on the spot and came 
away munching on the juicy meat of an equally 
delicious cocoanut. They also tried the oranges, 
but found them not so good as the California fruit 
at home. 

“ There is a great deal in having things fresh,” 
said the professor. “ The pineapples we get at home 
are ripened off the tree and so are the bananas and 
plantains.” 


242 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Sunday was spent quietly. They attended a short 
service at the English chapel in Para and spent sev- 
eral hours in writing long letters to the folks at 
home. Letters had also come in for them on the 
last steamer from New York, and these epistles were 
read with deep interest, not once, but several times. 
Luckily there was no bad news, which was a source 
of gratification. 


CHAPTER XXIV 


UP THE AMAZON AT LAST 

“ What a truly tremendous river this is, Mark! ” 

It was Frank who spoke. He and his chum were 
standing on the main deck of the Mura, the steamer 
on which the whole party had taken passage two 
days before. On each side of them rolled the mighty 
waters of the Amazon, dark and muddy-looking 
even in that bright sunlight. For hours no land 
had been in sight, but now they made out a low 
patch of grass and brushwood to the northward, and 
soon a shore appeared, the line hidden among the 
reeds and rushes and backed up a mile further to the 
rear by tropical forests that appeared to have no end. 

Since leaving Para the weather had been un- 
usually fine for that season of the year, and the whole 
of the long days had been spent on deck, studying 
the objects of interest as they had presented them- 
selves. They had passed numerous islands, where 
they had seen several villages of more or less im- 


243 


244 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

portance, and they had glided by one immense plain 
with many horses and cattle grazing thereon; and 
they had even shot at a flock of big birds with suc- 
cess, bringing down half a dozen. Down near the 
mouths of the great river they had watched a sailor 
harpoon a whale and had also seen the capture of a 
large shark, of which there are many in these waters. 

And if they had been interested in what was pass- 
ing they had also been interested in the passengers on 
the river steamer, which was bound for the city of 
Manaos, on the Rio Negro, six miles from where 
that stream flows into the Amazon. Manaos is one 
of the main cities of the Amazonian territory, with 
steamers that ply regularly to the coast and with 
others that connect with the upper Amazon and its 
tributaries. 

“ These folks must be regular inhabitants of the 
Amazonian district,” said Darry. “ They are not a 
bit like the folks at Rio. Many of them must have 
Indian blood in their veins,” and in this surmise he 
was correct. But there were other passengers, 
too — American, English, French, German, and 
Spanish, a motley collection, from the rich investor 
to the poorest peon among the cattlemen. 

“ You are right, it is a tremendous river, Frank,” 


UP THE AMAZON AT LAST 


245 


said Mark. “ And think of the length, four thou- 
sand miles ! ” 

“ I heard somebody say the length wasn’t over 
three thousand miles. But even that is as far as 
from New York to San Francisco. But what takes 
my eye is the width. The width of our own mighty 
Mississippi is nothing alongside of it.” 

A little while after this the steamer came quite 
close to shore, so that they could see the brushwood 
and tangle of forest more plainly. The professor 
called the attention of the young explorers to the 
birds. 

“ Those are parrots,” he said, pointing to a large 
flock that had taken wing across the stream. “ There 
must be at least a hundred of them, and they 
are of several colors.” 

“ What are those strange-looking birds on the 
sandy strip ? ” asked Sam. 

“ Those are toucans, Samuel, and you will find 
many varieties in this territory. Those birds that 
just came through the brushwood are hawks, and 
back a distance I saw several beautiful jacamars, 
which belong to the kingfishers.” 

“ What other birds are along the Amazon ? ” 
asked Mark. 


246 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Oh, an endless variety, Mark; eagles, hawks, 
owls, kites, chatterers, tanagers, toucans, parrots, 

humming-birds, woodpeckers, shrikes, orioles ” 

“ Well, well ! ” interrupted Mark. “ What a 
lot ! ” 

“ I was poring over a zoology the other day and 
came across the statement that Brazil contained 
over a thousand varieties of birds, and that of these 
ninety per cent, inhabited the Amazon valley. ,, 

“ If that’s the case we shall not want for bird 
hunting,” put in Frank. “ But I shall have a big 
job trying to make a collection, shan’t I ? ” 

“ What about the wild animals ? ” asked Darry. 
“ Are they as numerous as the birds? ” 

“ I believe the monkeys are, but that is all. The 
fiercest wild beast is the jaguar, the tiger of South 
America, and the ocelot, which, as you have already 
discovered, is a tiger-cat. In the depths of the forest 
you will also find the puma, the guara, or red wolf, 
and a fox somewhat like our own. There are also 
tapirs, and great herds of peccaries, as well as arma- 
dillos, ant-eaters, and sloths. Years ago there were 
many wild deer here, but they are gradually being 
thinned out by the hunters. There are also wild 
horses (I fancy everybody has heard of the wild 


UP THE AMAZON AT LAST 247 

horses of the pampas ), but I doubt if we see any of 
them. There are also wild hogs.” 

“ And I reckon there are snakes,” came from Jake. 

“ Yes, Jacob, big boa-constrictors, such as you 
met with in Venezuela, and also poisonous snakes, 
such as the rattlesnake and the jararaca, — but we 
will do our best to steer clear of them.” 

“ I’ve been wondering how long it is since the 
Amazon was navigated by steamboats,” said Frank. 
“ I was reading a story book about Brazil before 
we left home, but that spoke of sailboats and canoes.” 

“ I asked the captain of this vessel that question 
and he told me that the first steamer went up the 
river in 1853. It was sent out by the Amazon 
Navigation Company and ran from Para clear across 
Brazil to Nauta, in Peru. This opened the eyes of 
the people to the possibilities of a trade by steamers 
on the river, and before many years several lines of 
boats were plying between Para and other cities and 
towns, both in Brazil and in Peru, and additional 
steamers were put into service on the Tapajos, the 
Rio Negro, and other streams.” 

“We haven’t seen very many steamers so far.” 

“ That is because this is such a country of mag- 
nificent distances, Frank. On a river three to twenty 


248 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

miles wide and three to four thousand miles long it 
would take a good many vessels to make any kind of 
a showing.” 

A little later they heard a loud shout from the for- 
ward deck and suddenly felt the Mura swing to one 
side of the river. Looking ahead they espied a large 
lumber raft coming down the stream. It was com- 
posed of thousands of sticks of timber, bound to- 
gether with iron chains and grass ropes. On the 
raft were a number of Portuguese half-breeds, all 
smoking and doing what they could to keep their 
clumsy craft in the channel. In a few minutes the 
raft swept out of sight. 

“ That would be a dangerous thing to meet at 
night,” remarked Sam. “ It could easily smash this 
vessel into kindling wood.” 

“ Such a raft as that is always tied up at sun- 
down,” answered Amos Strong. “ Yet it would be 
equally bad to meet it in the daytime,, if the channel 
happened to be a narrow one. But during the wet 
season the natives think there is plenty of room 
everywhere.” 

“ I suppose they can bring down all sorts of wood 
in that manner,” said Frank. 

“ To be sure, but they only bring down wood that 


UP THE AMAZON AT LAST 


249 


is most valuable — Brazilwood, rosewood, and the 
like. There is one peculiarity of a Brazilian forest 
which struck me when I was here before. With the 
exception of the palms hardly any sort of trees grow 
together, so if a lumberman here wants one kind of 
timber he must hunt up his trees wherever he can 
find them.” 

The run to Manaos was completed that night and 
they landed in the darkness. With them went J. 
Langnack Green, who, during the trip up the Ama- 
zon had had but little to say. Down at the wharves 
everything was bustle and excitement, for a steamer 
was leaving for Para and Rio, and a party of inhabi- 
tants had come to see several prominent officials off. 

“ Let us listen to the band ! ” cried Darry, and 
they remained on the dock listening to the musi- 
cians, twelve in number. They were of mixed Bra- 
zilian and Indian blood, but the playing was far 
from bad. On every side flags were waving, and 
the dock and the outgoing steamer were strewn with 
flowers. 

“ Manaos is not a large place,” said Amos Strong, 
while they were settling down at the hotel. “ But it 
is the capital of the State of Amazonas, and has a 
large trade in rubber. I thought we might stop off 


250 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

here so that you could learn a little of that important 
industry.” 

“ Oh, yes, I want to learn all about rubber ! ” cried 
Frank. 

“ Is this the place Mr. Beldon expected to come 
to ? ” asked Darry of Mark. 

“ He was coming to Manaos first, and after that 
he expected to push on somewhere into the interior,” 
was the answer. 

“ Will he bring his charming daughters with 
him?” questioned J. Langnack Green eagerly. 

“ Perhaps.” 

“ I hope we see them. This voyage has been 
horribly monotonous, don’t you know.” 

“ Oh, we enjoyed it,” said Mark, and turned 
away. 

“ He’ll make you introduce him to those girls, 
Mark,” said Frank, when the two were out of hear- 
ing of the dude. 

“ Will he? It takes two to make a bargain,” re- 
turned Mark grimly. “I’m not going to load them 
up with such a light-brained acquaintance as 
Green.” 

“ But what if he insists upon it? ” 

“ I’ll not let him. But don’t borrow trouble, — 


UP THE AMAZON AT LAST 


251 


those girls may not come at all, or they may come 
after we have left.”' 

That evening another storm came up and the 
young explorers were glad that they were safe in- 
doors and not yet in the mighty forest. The rain 
began to come down directly after they had had 
supper and the storm increased in violence until at 
ten o’clock the wind was blowing little short of a 
hurricane. There was a good deal of thunder and 
lightning, and the whole party collected in the large 
room that had been assigned to Mark, Frank, and 
Jake, for nobody thought of retiring. 

“ This won’t be so pleasant for those on that 
river steamer,” said Frank. “ And they went off 
in such an hurrah, too ! ” 

“ Well, they are under cover the same as our- 
selves,” said Mark. “ But I presume navigation is 
bad when the rain comes down in such sheets as 
this.” 

“ Yes, navigation is bad,” answered Professor 
Strong. “ And I have often heard of a captain tying 
up or anchoring until the downpour was over. And 
a storm like this makes sailing on the river bad for 
several days to come, for it is liable to wash away 
big trees from the river bank, and these go float- 


252 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

in g down the stream with the fury of battering 
rams. ,, 

“ Wonder what became of J. Langnack?” came 
from Jake. “ He told me he didn’t like thunder- 
storms at all.” 

“ I saw him go to his room a few minutes ago,” 
answered Frank. “ He has got Number 6, just 
across the hallway, the corner apartment. He 
wanted a room fronting the street and he was quite 
angry when he couldn’t get it.” 

“ He will find in traveling around that he must 
be satisfied with what he can get,” said Professor 
Strong. “ Our rooms are not of the best, but still 
we can ” 

The professor did not finish, for at that instant a 
blinding flash of lightning made all in the room 
leap up in alarm. The flash was followed immedi- 
ately by a sharp crack of thunder, and then by an- 
other crash that seemed to shake the whole hotel. 

“ That struck pretty close by ” began Frank, 

when a yell from the other side of the hallway 
reached their ears. 

“ I’m killed ! I’m killed ! ” came in the voice of J. 
Langnack Green. “ The roof has fallen in ! Some- 
body save me ! ” 


CHAPTER XXV 


ABOUT RUBBER AND RUBBER MAKING 

“ My gracious ! Green is in trouble ! ” burst out 
Mark, who was the first of the boys to recover from 
the shock. “ He says the roof is falling in on him ! ” 

He leaped for the doorway, but Professor Strong 
was before him. Both ran outside, to find the hall 
dark, for a strong gust of wind had blown out the 
light. After them came the others, Jake clutching 
Darry’s shoulder, for fear he would be left alone. 

“ Help ! ” continued J. Langnack Green. “ Help, 
I say ! Oh, this is beastly, don’t you know ! ” 

In spite of the seriousness of the situation Darry 
felt a strong inclination to laugh over the dude’s wail 
of distress. Even Amos Strong had to smile to 
himself. 

“ He can’t be so badly hurt,” came frpm Mark. 
“ If he was he couldn’t yell like that.” 

They were at the door, trying to force it open. It 
was not locked, but it stuck at the top, showing that 


253 


254 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

something was holding it in place from the inside of 
the room. At last Amos Strong put his shoulder 
to the barrier and it came down with a crash, causing 
another yell of fright from the occupant of the apart- 
ment. 

“ I’m a dead man, I know I am!” cried J. Lang- 
nack. “ I’ll never get out of this alive ! Oh, why 
did I ever come to this beastly country ? Oh, this is 
really dreadful, don’t you know ! ” 

“ Where are you ? ” demanded the professor, for 
the room was as dark as the hallway. 

“ Here, under the table. I can’t move. I’m 
caught like a wild animal in a cage.” 

The professor and Mark took a step forward and 
came in contact with the end of a tree limb. It was 
soaked with rain, and rain was coming in through a 
hole in the corner of the roof and through a broken- 
out window. 

“ We must have a light here — we can do nothing 
in the dark,” said Amos Strong, and he struck a 
match. With care he sheltered it from the wind, 
and espying the lamp, lit it, although not without 
difficulty. By this smoking and flaring affair they 
surveyed the scene before them, while many others 
in the hotel came running to the spot. 



By this smoking- and flaring affair they surveyed the 
scene before them. — Page 254. 





ABOUT RUBBER AND RUBBER MAKING 255 

It was seen that a large limb of a tree standing 
near the corner of the hotel had been split off by the 
lightning. The limb had ripped off a corner of the 
roof and a side branch had broken out the window. 
In coming down the limb had knocked J. Langnack 
Green under a small center table and now held him 
there. The dude had been scratched a little, but he 
was otherwise uninjured. 

“ I think we can raise the branch,” said Amos 
Strong, after a brief glance at the situation. “ Hold 
the light, Frank.” 

The youth did as bidden, and then the professor, 
Mark, and Jake took hold of the branch and lifted it 
a couple of feet. 

“ Now you can crawl out, Mr. Green,” said Amos 
Strong. 

“ I — I can’t, really ! ” 

“ Why not?” 

“ I am fast.” 

“ Wait, his coat is caught on a nail ! ” cried Darry. 
He bent down to unloose the article. “ Now you can 
get up.” 

Still groaning the dude crawled forth and slowly 
arose to his feet. As he came out the others allowed 
the branch to fall back as before. It caused one of 


256 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

the table legs to give way with a crash. The dude 
leaped for the doorway in added alarm. 

“ The house is coming down ! ” he yelled, and 
bolted out into the hallway and down the stairs. 

“ Well, he’s a nice chap to venture into the wilds 
of the Amazon,” was Mark’s comment, while sev- 
eral of the others laughed outright. 

The proprietor of the hotel now took charge, and 
under his orders the tree limb was shoved from the 
building into the yard below. Then a patch of 
canvas was nailed over the hole and the broken-out 
window; and the excitement came to an end. 

“ But it was a narrow escape,” was Frank’s com- 
ment. “ Being in that room was no fun for Green.” 

“ Yes, but he is such a squealer,” came from 
Darry, and in this the others agreed with him. 

Down below J. Langnack Green was washing his 
scratches and binding them up in salve. 

“ Never had such a narrow escape in my life, 
don’t you know,” he said. “ It was really awful ! 
The limb came within an inch of taking my head 
off! I shall start for home to-morrow.” 

“ Oh, you may not have a thing like that happen 
again in a lifetime,” said an American who over- 
heard him. 


ABOUT RUBBER AND RUBBER MAKING 257 

“ I should hope not, sir. But I can't stay, I 
really can’t! Why, my nerves are like a jelly, don’t 
you know.” And then the dude proceeded to the 
drinking saloon in connection with the hotel, to 
seek consolation there. 

The storm continued the best part of the night, 
although the lightning and thunder ceased within 
two hours. After breakfast the young explorers 
saw what such a downpour on the Amazon and its 
tributaries meant. The Rio Negro was swollen 
greatly, and much of the river bank and some of the 
lower docks were several feet under water. 

“ During the rainy season these rivers are apt to 
swell enormously,” said Amos Strong. “ I have 
known the river to rise ten and twelve feet in a single 
night, and some of the streams lying between the 
valleys are reported to rise forty and fifty feet. 
Sometimes the villages in the valleys catch it so 
badly that not a house or hut is left standing.” 

Two days later the whole party took a small 
steamer plying up the Rio Negro to a settlement 
called Heraria. Here a large dealer in rubber had 
his establishment and to this man Professor Strong 
carried a letter of introduction from Jefferson 
Beldon. 


258 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Want to find out what we are doing in rubber, 
eh? ” said the dealer, whose name was Daniel Todd. 
“ All right, I’ll show you what I can. But you know 
we get very little rubber during the wet season. 
Ninety-five per cent, is tapped from the trees when 
it is dry.” 

They remained over night at the settlement, and in 
the morning Daniel Todd took them up on one of the 
branches of the river in a steam launch he possessed. 
Soon they reached an Indian village and beyond this 
came to a locality where he said over two hundred 
rubber trees had been tapped during the past four 
seasons. 

“ The rubber we get here is mostly from the real 
Para rubber tree,” said the dealer. “ I can’t give 
you the scientific name, but perhaps the professor 
can.” 

“ The genus is called Hevea, and was formerly 
called Siphonia,” answered Amos Strong. “ I be- 
lieve you get the best of your rubber from the trees 
and not from the plants.” 

“ We used to get it entirely from the trees, but 
now we have to take what we can get,” said Daniel 
Todd. “ A good deal of real rubber is adulterated 
with the juice of the Macandaruba tree. That juice 


ABOUT RUBBER AND RUBBER MAKING 259 

is something like rubber, but when the manufac- 
turers put it through certain processes it becomes 
more like gutta-percha.” 

They were soon in the midst of a rubber camp, 
and Daniel Todd pointed out several trees that had 
been tapped during the seasons past. They were 
fifty to seventy-five feet in height and grew in a 
clayey soil on a slope away from the river bank. 

“ Well, they are not such wonderful trees to look 
at,” observed Frank, as he gazed upon the long and 
twisted branches. 

“ At Pernambuco they have the Pernambuco rub- 
ber tree, which looks something like our own weep- 
ing willow,” said the professor, “ and there are a 
dozen other varieties in other parts of South 
America.” 

“ I suppose the trade is very large,” came from 
Mark. 

“ We furnish the world with about one-third of 
all the rubber it uses,” said the dealer. 

“ Well, the world uses a good deal,” said Darry, 
with a laugh. “ Just look at the rubber boots and 
overshoes we wear out ! ” 

“ I’ve heard it said that rubber is used by manu- 
facturers for over three thousand purposes,” put in 


260 young explorers of the amazon 

the professor. “ Lately large quantities have befell 
used for the insulation of electric wires and for tires 
for bicycles and automobiles. It has been used for 
centuries. The South American Indian children used 
to have bouncing balls of it, like our own hard 
rubber balls of to-day. The first use to which it was 
put in England and America was for erasing pencil 
marks.” 

Taking them to one of the trees, Daniel Todd 
showed them how the rubber gatherer went to work. 

“ With a very keen blade a cut is made horizon- 
tally and then another is made above this and leading 
to it,” he said, showing them the scars. “ Just below 
the cuts the gatherer fastens one of these little basins 
of clay that you see lying around. The cuts are 
made at nightfall and by morning the tree has given 
out its juice, which is usually good for from four to 
eight ounces of rubber. This juice is of a yellowish 
color and smells very strongly of ammonia.” 

The dealer picked up a small clay dish lying near 
and with a soft bit of clay showed how it could be 
fastened to the tree so that not a drop of juice, or 
milk, should be lost. 

“ The gatherers go around early in the morning 
and collect all the juice the trees have yielded,” he 


ABOUT RUBBER AND RUBBER MAKING 26 1 

went on. “ This juice is then placed in larger basins, 
or pans. In the old days the natives used to let it 
harden by evaporation, which it will do in a manner 
similar to milk turning sour and thick. But now 
rubber is hardened by being placed over a fire.” 

Not far from the tree was a spot used for the last- 
named process of hardening the rubber cakes, and 
Daniel Todd led them to this. 

“ The fires are started in a row here,” he said. 
“ For that purpose we use large pots and in them 
place palm nuts, usually the auricuri, which give 
off a heavy oily smoke. The rubber is then turned 
around and around in this oily smoke until it grows 
as hard as desired. Just before it is hardened it is 
placed in molds made according to the forms de- 
sired. This process gives us pure Para rubber, or 
caoutchouc, the finest in the world.” 

“ Is this the way rubber is made everywhere?” 
asked Jake. 

“ Oh, no,” answered the professor. “ In some 
places the trees, or bushes, are cut down and the 
juice is drained in a hole in the ground and left to 
evaporate in the sun, and in other places, like the 
island of Java, the rubber is allowed to run from a 
cut in the tree and dry as it runs, in long uneven 


262 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

strips, like the drippings of a tallow candle. But 
none of these other sorts of rubber is equal to that 
produced in this region.” 

After this they walked around the plant and the 
owner showed them the various molds used for 
forming the rubber, and also showed them how the 
product was packed up for transportation to Para, 
and for shipment to the United States and other 
countries. 

“ It’s a wonderful industry,” was Frank’s com- 
ment. “ Who would think of all this work, away 
out here in the wilderness, when using a cent eraser 
or a five-cent rubber bouncing ball ! ” 

“ It shows what one portion of the world is doing 
for the other portion,” answered Sam. “ They ship 
us rubber, and we ship them dry-goods, boots and 
shoes, plantation machinery, and lots of other 
things.” 

“ Yes, but the queerest thing I saw was in Para,” 
said the professor. “If you’ll remember, I bought 
a new pair of rubber hunting boots there. The 
boots were made in Connecticut and were stamped : 
‘ Warranted Para Rubber.’ That rubber traveled 
thousands of miles in order to be worked up into 
proper shape for use.” 


CHAPTER XXVI 


THE LAND OF THE GREAT FOREST 

When the party returned to Manaos they found 
J. Langnack Green in a state of great excitement. 
He had been down to the river front, trying to stop 
the sailing of a steamer bound up the Amazon, but 
nobody had understood him or paid much attention 
to him, and now he had returned to the hotel filled 
with disgust. 

“ It was the most remarkable thing ever happened 
to me, don’t you know,” said the dude, in trying to 
explain matters. “ Here I have been in this city 
for several days, and you have been here, too, and 
yet neither of us have seen that swindler, Dan 
Markel, alias James Haverlock.” 

“ Markel ! ” exclaimed several of the young ex- 
plorers in chorus. 

“ Do you mean to say Markel is in this town? ” 
demanded Mark. 

“ He is — or rather he was. Oh, it’s a beastly 
shame ! ” 


263 


264 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“Was — what do you mean, Green ?” 

“ I was walking down the street to-day when I 
saw this Markel, pr Haverlock, or whatever his 
name is, on the other side, in a drinking shop. He 
saw me at the same time, and I really guess both of 
us were awfully astonished. Then I started to talk 
to him, and he ran through a side door and down an 
alleyway. I tried to catch him, but it was no use, 
don’t you know — he can run like a deer.” 

“ But you said something about going down to the 
river to stop a boat,” put in Frank. 

“ So I did. Well, after I couldn’t catch the fel- 
low I went back to the drinking place. I found a 
man who could speak English and from him I 
learned, through the chap who kept the shop, that 
Markel was booked for the steamer going up the 
river — the Republica I think they call her, don’t you 
know. It was horribly hot, but I ran all the way 
to the docks to stop the steamer and have this 
swindler arrested. But I was too late.” 

“ Then you didn’t catch him ? ” came from 
Jake. 

J. Langnack Green shook his head. “ Nobody 
would listen to me and soon the steamer was out of 
hearing. And, think of it — I wilted my best high 


THE LAND OF THE GREAT FOREST 265 

collar in that run, too ! Oh, it was beastly ! ” And 
the dude dropped into a chair and began to fan 
himself. 

“ It certainly was too bad,” said Professor 
Strong, who had listened with as much interest as 
anybody. “ Did you find out to what place the Re- 
publica was bound ? ” 

“ I did not.” 

“ I think I can find out from the newspapers,” said 
the professor. 

In the smoking and reading room of the hotel he 
found several Brazilian newspapers, including the 
Gazeta, of Para, the Diario da Bahia , of Bahia, and 
the Jornal do Commercio, of Rio. From these 
sheets he learned that the Republica had come in 
from Rio and was now bound for Teffe and Santo 
Antonio, two hundred and four hundred miles away, 
by the river route. 

“ Pm afraid you have seen the last of him,” said 
Amos Strong. “ That is, unless you care to follow 
him up.” 

“ Can I dp that ? ” questioned J. Langnack Green 
anxiously. 

“ Why, certainly. There will be another steamer 
along in a day or two.” 


266 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ Then I shall follow, don’t you know. But it’s 
a beastly shame that the rascal got away.” 

“ Was he alone? ” questioned Frank. 

“ I don’t think he was, but I am not sure.” 

Amos Strong had already secured accommoda- 
tions on the next steamer bound for Teffe. From 
that point the party were to go up the river a short 
distance in an Indian canoe, taking provisions with 
them for a stay along the Amazon for several weeks. 

The prospect ahead was a most delightful one to 
all the young explorers, and even Jake’s face wore a 
happy smile as he prepared for the trip. All remem- 
bered the fun of the hunting trip on the Orinoco, and 
the perils and privations were forgotten. 

When the steamer came along they were all ready 
for the trip. The stop at Manaos was not long, and 
in less than an hour the boat had dropped down the 
Rio Negro to the Amazon and was plowing her 
way up that father of waters. J. Langnack Green 
had also secured passage on the steamer and did his 
best, as in the past, to make himself at home with 
the others. They could not help but feel sorry for 
the loss he had suffered, and they all hoped that he 
would manage to bring Dan Markel to justice. 

“ I’ll certainly help him to capture Markel if I 


THE LAND OF THE GREAT FOREST 2 67 

can,” said Frank, and the other youths said the 
same. 

The trip to Teffe was largely a repetition of the 
journey to Manaos, excepting that in certain places 
the river was much narrower than heretofore. At 
certain spots the banks were covered with rough 
walls of stone, and here the rapids would boil and 
foam in a manner that looked decidedly dangerous. 
Often they would pass islands covered with rank 
vegetation, and floating brushwood became common. 
Where the tropical forest came down to the river 
bank the growth was so thick that little could be seen 
fifteen feet back from the water. The majority of 
the trees were of immense size, with heavy vines 
trailing and climbing in all directions. This forest 
was literally alive with monkeys and parrots, and the 
shrill cries of the one and the screeching of the other 
often kept them awake for hours at night. One 
day a band of howling monkeys followed the 
steamer for over two miles, making the air fairly 
hideous with their noises. At another time Mark 
caught sight of some wild animal that had come 
down to drink, but before anybody could take a 
shot the animal disappeared whence it had come. 

“ This is a jungle and no mistake,” said Darry. 


068 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ That on the Orinoco was bad enough, but this is 
worse.” 

“ We must take care that we don’t become lost,” 
said Mark. “ We might not be so lucky as we were 
then.” 

They found Teffe but a small town, given over to 
a variety of trade, including cattle, hides, tallow, 
rubber, tobacco, and medical herbs. A large quan- 
tity of sarsaparilla root was also shipped from the 
place, and here the young explorers got the best 
drink of sarsaparilla they had ever tasted. 

“ This is the genuine article, no question about 
that,” said Frank, as he smacked his lips. “ It’s a 
pleasure to drink something that one knows isn’t 
doctored up.” 

In Teffe they experienced their first discomfort 
from flies. These flies come down from the llanos, 
or pampas, to the north in great numbers and they 
are of the variety that find something to bite at as 
soon as they alight. 

“ Great Caesar ! ” exclaimed Darry, after fighting 
the pests for half an hour. “ Talk about our mos- 
quitoes! If these aren’t worse then I don’t know 
what I’m saying.” 

“ They are certainly vicious little things,” re- 


THE LAND OF THE GREAT FOREST 269 

turned Sam. “ They seem to be wonderfully 
hungry.” 

“ I will give you an oil that you can rub on your 
faces and hands,” said the professor. “ That will 
not keep them away altogether, but it will help a 
good deal.” And after they had used the oil several 
times they found that the flies hardly bothered them 
at all. 

As soon as they landed at Teffe, J. Langnack 
Green made inquiries concerning Dan Markel. He 
found that the man from Baltimore had been in the 
town and then taken a small boat for a village called 
Bolozo. With Markel had been several Brazilians. 
The party seemed to be on business, but what that 
business was nobody appeared to know. 

“ I don't believe it’s anything legitimate,” said 
Mark. “ Perhaps Markel knows he is being fol- 
lowed and is trying to escape from the clutches of 
the law.” 

At Teffe arrangements were made to continue the 
journey by canoe, as previously mentioned. Sev- 
eral Indians were found who were willing to ac- 
company Professor Strong and his charges for a 
reasonable sum, and the professor learned from the 
principal merchant in the town that all of the red 


270 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

men were thoroughly reliable. The canoe was 
stocked with all the necessary provisions and loaded 
with the outfit belonging to the explorers. 

“ I’m sorry to part with you, don’t you know,” 
said J. Langnack Green. “ But I am going to stay 
at Teffe for awhile and see if I can’t catch that 
Markel. If I can’t I’m going home. I’ve had 
enough of this beastly country anyway. I wouldn’t 
live down here for a million dollars.” 

“ We’ll keep our eyes open for Markel, too,” said 
Mark. “ And if we hear anything of him we’ll send 
word to Teffe, Manaos, and to Para, so you’ll be 
sure to hear from us one way- or another.” 

The canoe they had selected was an affair twenty- 
odd feet in length and of corresponding width and 
depth. It was built of several kinds of wood, for the 
inhabitants of the Amazonian territory rarely use 
one kind of wood alone for building anything, the 
trees being so much mixed up, as already described. 
The canoe had three seats, and in the rear was a 
small shelter, to keep out the sun and the rain. 

The Indians were peaceful-looking fellows, not 
very large and not over clean, but much cleaner than 
the majority of their tribe. 

The leader was named Owl Head, because of a 


THE LAND OF THE GREAT FOREST 


27I 


strange manner of blinking his eyes when speaking, 
and the others were called Wild Horse, The Monkey, 
and Flatfoot — why, none of the young explorers 
ever learned. The names sound odd in English, but 
in the Indian tongue they were all musical. Owl 
Head was an expert canoe man, and they soon 
learned that Flatfoot was one of the best Indian 
cooks to be found. Both of these could speak a few 
words of English, but the others spoke nothing but 
their native dialect. 

It was a clear day when the start was made from 
Teffe, and J. Langnack Green came to the river 
front to see them off. With it all they were sorry, 
at the last moment, to part with the dude, and all 
shouted back that they hoped to meet him again. 

“ Ye-as, perhaps we’ll meet in New York, don’t 
you know,” he drawled. “ I shan’t stay in -this 
beastly country much longer. The climate and the 
people are simply dreadful. I haven’t seen a 
fashionably dressed person since I came up here, 
really I haven’t, don’t you know.” And that was the 
last they saw or heard of him for some time to come. 

“ He means well,” was Frank’s comment. “ But 
his head is about as empty as a hollow cocoanut.” 

The first day on the canoe was one full of interest 


272 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

to the boys. They took their ease on the seats while 
the Indians bent to the paddles and sent the craft 
swiftly along, first on one side of the river and then 
on the other, as the current seemed to favor the boat. 
Often they would pass under the sweeping branches 
of great trees, where the leaves and trailing vines 
would brush their heads, and then they would pick 
their way among islands filled with tall llano grass 
and thorny brushwood. Toward evening they came 
to a rocky curve in the river and here passed some 
rapids that looked far more dangerous than they 
would have if our friends had been on the high deck 
pf a steamer. 

“ To-night we’ll get our first taste of camping 
out,” said the professor. “ We could push on to a 
village, but I presume you would prefer ” 

“ To be sure, let us camp out by all means ! ” cried 
Darry. 

“ I’ve been just aching for it,” came from Frank, 
and this caused a laugh. 

Directions were given to Owl Head, and a little 
later they ran up a creek flowing into the river. 
Here was a sandy beach backed up by the gigantic 
forest, and here they made preparations to spend the 
night. 


CHAPTER XXVII 


TRUMPETERS, AND SOME MONKEYS 

It did not take the young explorers and the others 
long to get their camping spot for the night in 
proper order. As it was warm and promised to re- 
main dry they did not erect a regular tent, but 
simply tied a square of canvas up between the trees, 
to keep whatever might be above from dropping on 
their heads. Firewood was to be had in plenty, and 
soon a cheerful blaze helped to dispel the gloom that 
came upon them the moment the sun went down, for, 
as told before, night in the tropics invariably comes 
on without warning. The sun sinks below the hori- 
zon and in a few minutes all is as dark as at mid- 
night. 

During the brief journey up the creek the profes- 
sor had thrown out a hook and some bait and had 
caught what the Indians called a johoka, a fish not 
unlike a pickerel, but with a shorter tail. He also 
landed, a little later, another, called a polomurak, 


273 


274 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

which was large and flat, with eyes of a soft blue 
color. Both were declared to be excellent eating, 
and Flatfoot lost no time in preparing them for 
supper. 

“ The rivers of Brazil abound in fish,” said Amos 
Strong, while they were eating a meal of fish, beans, 
and crackers. “ One naturalist says that over five 
hundred varieties exist in the Amazon alone, and 
that the Rio Negro and the Tapajos contain over a 
hundred others.” 

“If that’s the case we shan’t starve for the want 
of fish,” laughed Frank. 

“ And we shall not want for sport,” put in Jake. 
“ I must say I like fishing almost as well as hunting.” 

“ The rivers are also full of turtles,” went on the 
professor. “ Sooner or later we must get the In- 
dians to bring one of them in. They are experts at 
turtle catching.” 

It was noticed that the Indians ate but little of the 
fish and crackers and none of the beans. For their 
own use they had brought along a bag of farina 
and this seemed to satisfy them more than did any- 
thing else. 

“ An Amazonian Indian can liv.e for days upon 
nothing but farina/’ remarked Amos Strong. “ It 


TRUMPETERS, AND SOME MONKEYS 275 

is made from cassava meal, and is somewhat dif- 
ferent from what we know as farina at home.” 

“ It’s odd that the natives should live so plainly,” 
came from Sam. “ The poor Brazilians live on 
bananas, and the Indians you say live on farina. 
Why don’t they make the most of all the fruits and 
vegetables and animals they have?” 

“ That is hard to answer, Samuel. I presume the 
heat has a good deal to do with it. That makes the 
people lazy and they take what is easiest to get. Be- 
sides, they find bananas and farina very healthy. Of 
course, they eat a good deal of fruit, in season, but 
in a hot country the body does not require much 
meat for nourishment.” 

On landing they had not seen any monkeys in that 
vicinity, but while they were talking after supper 
several of the simians showed themselves. Parkie 
was sitting on Frank’s shoulder at the time and he 
uttered a cheep of pleasure. 

“ Hullo, Parkie, have you found some old 
friends? ” queried Frank. 

“ I suppose he is lonely at times,” came from 
Sam. “ Wonder what he would do if you let 
him go ? ” 

Sam had scarcely spoken when Parkie leaped to 


276 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

the ground, ran across the opening, and mounted the 
tree upon which the strange monkeys sat. 

“ Good-by to that monk ! ” cried Darry. “ Frank, 
he has deserted you.” 

“ I don't believe he has,” answered Frank. 

All watched the monkeys with interest. There 
was a wild chattering and the strangers gathered 
around Parkie and examined the collar he wore. 
Then of a sudden a big monkey made as if to bite 
Frank's pet. There was a piercing shriek and 
Parkie came down the tree in double-quick order, 
ran to Frank, and snuggled up in his lap. 

“ He hasn't deserted me after all,” said Frank. 

“ He had to run for his life,” put in Mark. 
“ Those other monkeys were not as friendly as he 
supposed they would be.” 

“ Wild animals of all kinds rarely make friends 
with those that have been in captivity,” remarked 
Professor Strong. “ I have that from a man who 
for years was in the business of supplying wild ani- 
mals to circuses and zoological gardens. He said 
that sometimes animals caught in Africa got away 
after being penned up for several months. After- 
ward they were usually found killed by their former 
mates.” 


TRUMPETERS, AND SOME MONKEYS 277 

As it had been decided to continue the journey 
early in the morning the party did not remain up 
late. Before nine o’clock the fire was fixed for the 
night, the strange monkeys departed after a fire- 
brand was hurled at them, and then all became 
quiet. 

Darry was the first to stir at daybreak. He found 
Flatfoot already preparing the morning meal. With 
their bows and arrows the Indians had brought 
down over a dozen birds, and these were cooked to 
a nicety over the blaze. There was also a pot of hot 
coffee and some meal cakes baked on a hot stone, 
and to this spread the young explorers did full jus- 
tice. 

Darry and Frank were anxious to try their hands 
at paddling, and after the main river was again 
reached they did so. But they soon found that pad- 
dling such a craft as they now occupied and a light 
canoe at home were entirely different things, and 
they gladly gave up the task after pushing the canoe 
along for about a mile. 

“ It’s not so easy as it looks,” said the professor. 
“ I have tried it myself. These Indians are used to 
it and can do it far better than anybody else.” 

They kept on the river until almost noon. By 


2 78 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

that time the heat was so intense they were glad 
enough to seek the bank and lie down in the coolest 
spot they could find. But the professor would not 
let them remain on the ground long, and made them 
sling their hammocks, in which they took a nap last- 
ing until the middle of the afternoon. Then on they 
went again, after a lunch, and did not stop until the 
Indians paddled in to shore of their own accord. 

“ Hard place up dare,” said Owl Head, pointing 
up the river. “ To-morrow we carry canoe ’round — 
dat better dan stay in water.” 

“ He means that there are dangerous rapids 
ahead,” explained the professor. “ We’ll go around 
by way of the portage. A steamer can go through 
and so can a canoe, but I imagine he doesn’t want 
to risk it with us and our outfit.” 

As it still wanted two hours to sundown it was 
decided by the professor and the boys to go out on a 
short hunting trip. 

“ We can get a few birds, if nothing else,” said 
Amos Strong. “ And it will give all of you a little 
practice in shooting.” 

“ I saw some tall, wading birds up the river a 
bit,” said Frank. “ Why not go after them? ” 

The others were willing, and leaving the Indians 


TRUMPETERS, AND SOME MONKEYS 279 

to put the camp into shape for the night, they set 
out, each with a gun or a rifle, as best pleased him. 
The professor also carried his pistol and a long hunt- 
ing knife. 

“ A knife is always useful to a hunter,” he said. 
“ None of you should be without one if you go out 
alone. Many a hunter has saved his life with his 
knife, after his firearm has failed him.” 

The portage path along the Amazon had been 
used by the Indians and negroes for years and was 
well defined. They moved along as silently as pos- 
sible, so as not to disturb the birds Frank had dis- 
covered, should they still be in that vicinity. 

They had almost reached the river bank at a point 
where the rapids were located when Sam called the 
attention of the others to some birds sitting on a 
bush to their left. They were tanagers, of scarlet 
and black. 

“ How beautiful ! ” whispered the boy from 
Boston. 

“ They certainly are,” answered Amos Strong. 
“ But we had better not bring any down. The shot 
will scare off larger game.” 

“ I wasn’t going to fire on them. They are too 
beautiful to shoot.” 


280 young explorers of the amazon 

The river soon came into sight again, and here, on 
some flat rocks, they saw the birds Frank had no- 
ticed. They were golden-breasted trumpeters, about 
the size of turkeys, but with long, thin legs. The 
feathers of the head and neck were soft and fine, and 
over the breast the color was of a beautiful golden 
green. 

The trumpeters were nine in number, scattered 
over a distance of several yards. They appeared to 
be looking across the river, and suddenly several of 
them gave a call that was not unlike the sound of a 
brazen trumpet. 

“ No wonder they are called trumpeters,” whis- 
pered Mark. 

They were soon in a position to fire, and at word 
from the professor all blazed away. As a result four 
were laid low and another seriously wounded. The 
others immediately took to their legs and disappeared 
into the forest. The wounded trumpeter flapped 
around and fell into the water, but Sam soon 
brought it in and dispatched it. 

“ The trumpeters used to be quite common on the 
Amazon, and in fact all over tropical America. But 
they are being thinned out rapidly,” said the pro- 
fessor, while the youths were examining the prizes. 


TRUMPETERS, AND SOME MONKEYS 


281 


“ There is another bird here very similar to it, called 
the cariama, which is often caught and domesti- 
cated by the Brazilians and fattened for food just 
as we fatten chickens and turkeys. The meat of 
both the trumpeter and the cariama is very much 
like the meat of a wild turkey.” 

With the trumpeters slung over their shoulders 
they started to retrace their steps to where they had 
left the Indians. But now a band of howling 
monkeys advanced upon them, filling the air with 
noises that were simply maddening. 

“ The gun-shots woke them up,” said Amos 
Strong. “ We may have some little trouble in get- 
ting rid of them.” 

One of the monkeys hung from a vine directly 
in front of Jake. The simian was making more 
noise than any of his followers, and in a sudden 
rage the youth caught up a stick lying near and 
hurled it at his tormentor. He struck the monkey 
on the head and a howl of pain arose, while the 
monkey disappeared among some tree branches. 

“ You shouldn’t have done that, Jacob,” said Pro- 
fessor Strong. 

“Why not? The little brute deserved it. His 
noise was enough to make one’s head ache.” 


282 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ But he will retaliate, and so will his compan- 
ions.” 

“How, I’d like to know?” 

The question was answered by the monkeys them- 
selves. All had retreated when Jake threw the stick, 
but now they came again to the front and hurled 
sticks and nuts at the party below. It was a perfect 
fusillade, and although they tried to dodge nearly 
every one was struck, although not seriously. 

“ Sure enough, the little rascals are after us 
now ! ” ejaculated Frank. “ I guess they mean busi- 
ness, too ! ” 

“ They are going to continue the battle,” came 
from Sam. “ Look out ! ” 

He had scarcely spoken when there came another 
shower of nuts and sticks. This time Darry got a 
nut directly in his left ear, and Jake was cut over 
the eye by a pointed stick. 

“ We’ll have to run for it,” cried the wounded 
youth. 

“ It’s your fault ” began Darry; when Frank 

put a hand over his mouth. 

“ Don’t blame Jake,” he whispered. “ He didn’t 
know.” 

Jake cast a scowl at Darry. 


TRUMPETERS, AND SOME MONKEYS 283 

“ Oh, yes, of course it’s my fault ! ” he snarled. 
“ Everything is my fault ! ” And then he turned 
his back on the pair. 

“ I’ll have to give them a shot,” said Amos 
Strong, and blazed into the trees with a double- 
barreled shot-gun. He did not aim particularly at 
the monkeys, but the noise and the flash of fire had 
its effect, and away went the simians, chattering 
wildly, and presently the sound was lost in the dis- 
tance. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


WHAT WAS FOUND AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE 

“ Jake doesn’t feel very good over what you 
said,” remarked Sam to Darry, as the twp returned 
to camp behind the rest of the party. 

“ Well, it was his fault,” retorted Darry, whose 
ear still stung from the blow received. “ If he hadn’t 
thrown that stick in the first place ” 

“ Oh, I know, Darry, but you should be more for- 
bearing. Jake is trying to control a nasty temper, 
and ” 

“ It’s easy enough to talk, Beans; it wasn’t you 
got hit in the ear.” 

“ I got hit on the neck though — and I didn’t say 
a word about it.” 

Jake could not hear all that was said. But he was 
sure the two boys were talking about him and it 
made him very bitter. He had been feeling sour all 
day, for no particular reason, and this happening 
seemed to cap the climax. 

284 


WHAT WAS FOUND AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE 285 

“ It’s no use in trying,” he said to himself. “ I 
can't get along with them. At the least thing they 
are against me. We simply can’t agree, and that is 
all there is to it.” 

Even the bringing down of the golden-breasted 
trumpeters did not make Jake feel happier. He felt 
sure that his shot had brought down one of the 
prizes, but he could not prove it, for all had dis- 
charged their weapons at the same time. 

It was rather a silent party that gathered around 
the camp-fire that night. They ate two of the birds 
and the others were dressed for use the next day. 
The professor and Sam tried to be cheerful, but it 
was more* or less of a failure. 

If Jake felt bad, Darry did the same, and as he lay 
quiet trying to get to sleep the fun-loving youth 
could not help but reach the conclusion that he had 
been to blame. At first he tried to reason himself 
out of this, .but could not, and sleeping became more 
and more impossible the harder he sought to woo 
slumber. 

“ I wonder if Jake is awake yet? ” he asked him- 
self, after an hour had past. He turned over in his 
hammock under the canvas. The lank youth’s rest- 
ing place was not far away, and in a moment more 


286 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


Darry was on the ground and tiptoeing his way in 
that direction. He touched Jake on the shoulder. 

“ What do you want ? ” was the half-whispered 
question, and the tone proved that the other had 
been no more asleep than himself. 

“ Jake,” whispered Darry in return, “ I’m sorry 
I spoke that way to you. I didn’t ” 

(t Don’t say another word, Darry,” was the hasty 
response. “ I was a fool to snap you up. I was just 
thinking it over as I lay here, and I was going to 
speak to you about it in the morning. It’s that ugly 
temper of mine. It gets as sour as a — a lemon 
sometimes, and I can’t change it no matter how hard 
I try.” 

“ Oh, but you have changed it a good deal, Jake — 
you know you have.” 

“ Sometimes I think that way. But then I fly 
off ” The tall youth drew a long sigh. 

“ Oh, we all fly off at times,” answered Darry, 
and then, as he saw two of the others turn over 
uneasily, as if on the point of waking up, he gave 
Jake’s hand a tight squeeze. “ Good-night,” he 
whispered. 

“ Good-night,” was the low answer. “ I’m aw- 
fully glad you came.” 


WHAT WAS FOUND AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE 287 

And after that it was not long before both of the 
boys followed the others to dreamland. 

Early in the morning they were awakened by a 
flock of parrots that alighted close to the camp. The 
noise made by these birds was so disagreeable that 
all jumped up simultaneously. 

“ My stars ! what a racket ! ” cried Frank. “ They 
must be holding an indignation meeting.” 

The Indians went out, and with their bows and 
arrows brought down about a dozen of the birds. 
The other parrots flew away; and that was the end 
of the noise. 

“Will they eat the parrots?” questioned Mark 
curiously, as he watched the birds being skinned. 

“ I hardly think so, although some Indians like 
parrots very much,” answered the professor. “ They 
will keep the feathers and sell them to some trader 
for tobacco or liquor,” and this was what the red 
men did, later on. 

That day they passed an Indian village on the 
river bank. The place contained a score of dirty 
tepees and huts, and fully twice that number of lazy 
men, women, and children came out to greet the 
newcomers. All were scantily clad, the children 
especially so, and all looked very much neglected. 


288 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“We won’t stop,” said Amos Strong to Owl 
Head. 

“ Wild Horse lib here,” was the answer. “ Wild 
Horse want to go ashore, see fam’bly. He come 
after us to-night.” 

“ All right, he can go,” said the professor, and 
they ran in close enough for the Indian mentioned 
to leap to land. Then the canoe went on and the 
village was soon lost to sight around a bend. 

“ A village like that is alive with vermin,” said 
the professor later. “ I am surprised that such a 
decent-looking fellow as Wild Horse should live 
there.” 

“ Wild Horse best man dare,” said Owl Head. 
“ Him big chief, but him no care for dat, no — Wild 
Horse like Owl Head’s people better.” 

“ Is your village near here? ” 

“ No, Owl Head’s village far, far away — dat 
way,” he pointed up the mighty river. “ Owl Head 
like to work for white people — make money. No 
money to make by de Indians, no ! ” And the man- 
ner in which this was said caused a general laugh. 

They were now getting deeper and deeper into the 
wilderness. At one point they passed great walls 
of rocks and at another a wide stretch of pampas. 


WHAT WAS FOUND AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE 289 

Here they caught their first sight of wild horses, 
but the animals were a long way off, and as soon as 
they sighted the canoe they took to their hoofs with a 
rapidity that was astonishing. 

“ They’d make regular racehorses, wouldn’t 
they?” remarked Sam. 

“ Oh, but wouldn’t I like to ride one once,” sighed 
Darry. 

The trees on each side of the river were enormous, 
and the hanging vines in some localities hung like a 
veritable network. On the ground were ferns and 
palms of huge size, with strange mosses and toad- 
stools. Here and there they saw large ant-hills and 
holes dug by various wild animals, and once the 
professor pointed out a number of swinging nests, 
the homes of one variety of orioles of the vicinity. 

They were just about to land that evening when 
Owl Head called the professor’s attention to three 
animals that were resting on the river bank in the 
midst of some tree roots. 

“Pikeko!” said the Indian, and patted his stom- 
ach. “ Pikeko , good for Indian.” 

“ They are capybaras,” said Amos Strong to the 
boys. “ Let us see if we can get a shot at them.” 

“ Shall we go ashore ? ” asked Mark. 


29O YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ No; the capybara is a good swimmer and an ex- 
cellent diver ; in fact, he can almost live in the water 
if he desires. We’ll bring up the canoe as silently 
as we can and try pur luck from here. Get your 
guns ready.” 

The weapons wer-e taken up and examined, and 
the professor gave the Indians the necessary direc- 
tions. The paddles were used without a sound, and 
the young explorers and the others did what they 
could to keep out of sight of their intended game. 

As the canoe drew closer the boys made out the 
capybaras with greater distinctness. Each was of 
a blackish-gray color, tinged with yellow, and was 
about three feet long. The head was blunt, with 
eyes set far back near a pair of short ears, and the 
legs were those of some giant rat. The animal was 
covered with coarse hair and had no tail worth men- 
tioning. When one of them stood up the boys saw 
that the body was round and full, fairly touching the 
ground. 

“ All ready, boys ? ” asked the professor in a low 
tone. 

They replied in the affirmative, and he told each 
which to shoot at, and then gave the order to fire. 
There was a scattering volley and two of the capy- 


WHAT WAS FOUND AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE 29 1 

baras leaped into the air and then fell back dead. 
The third was evidently wounded, but managed to 
reach the river and promptly dove out of sight. 

“ Hurrah ! we have two ! ” cried Mark. 

“ Wonder if we can’t get that third,” came from 
Sam. 

“ We can try, but I doubt it,” returned the pro- 
fessor. “ Their toes are webbed, and they can re- 
main under water for five minutes or more at a 
time.” 

The canoe was pulled up the stream a short dis- 
tance and all kept a close watch for the capybara. 
But the animal did not reappear, and presently Amos 
Strong gave orders to pull ashore. 

“ Are they good to eat ? ” asked Mark. 

“ The Indians think them delicious,” answered 
the professor. “ But only a few Brazilians touch 
them. The meat is something like pork, but 
stronger and more greasy.” 

That night the Indians prepared some of the capy- 
bara meat for eating, and the boys watched the 
process with considerable curiosity. The meat was 
cut up into long strips, and a large part of the fat 
was cut out with a sharp knife. The fat was put 
on the fire to burn, and the meat, after being rubbed 


292 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

with farina, was broiled in the midst of the dense 
smoke that arose. The liver of the animal was 
rolled up in a coating of clay, and this was placed 
under the fire on a stone to bake. 

“ The smell of that is enough to make one sick,” 
said Darry, holding his nose. “ I don’t think I want 
to sample the meat.” And the others agreed with 
him. 

When Wild Horse came to camp, which he did in 
the midst of the Indians’ feast, he had news that in- 
terested the young explorers not a little. A party 
of white people had stopped at the village the day 
before, including an American and several Portu- 
guese. They had been in a steam launch. 

“ Wild Horse say white Americano drop dis,” said 
Owl Head, and produced a little bundle of papers 
held together by a strong rubber band. “ Want to 
know how much cash him worth.” 

“ So they are out for a reward,” said Amos 
Strong with a smile. “ Perhaps the papers are 
valuable and perhaps they are worth nothing. We 
will look them over.” 

The roll was taken to the camp-fire and the rubber 
band slipped off. The professor perused the docu- 
ments with the others looking over his shoulders. 


WHAT WAS FOUND AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE 293 

“ This is certainly remarkable ! ” he cried. “ Boys, 
can you imagine who dropped these papers ? ” 

“ I see the name of James Haverlock on that 
paper,” came from Mark. 

“ Why, that is the assumed name Dan Markel 
used ! ” cried Darry. 

“ Can he be up here? ” put in Jake. “ But why 
not? He was traveling in this direction the last 
time we heard of him.” 

“ That isn’t the most wonderful part pf it,” con- 
tinued Amos Strong. “ There is another name men- 
tioned here that surprises me also. It is that of 
Barnabe Costavo ” 

“ Costavo ! ” burst from several of the others. 

“ He is the fellow who was going to make so much 
trouble for us at Rio and then didn’t turn up,” said 
Sam. 

“ Can it be possible that Markel and Costavo are 
in some sort of a partnership put here ? ” questioned 
Mark. 

“ I think they are. These papers relate to a large 
tract of land located not many miles from where we 
are resting. The tract is said to contain many rub- 
ber trees, and has on it a plant for manufacturing 
crude rubber — a plant put up years ago by English 


294 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

capitalists. By this paper it would seem that the 
plant is now owned by Barnabe Costavo and several 
other Brazilians or Portuguese. Perhaps Markel is 
going to buy an interest in the plant.” 

“ With Green’s money,” said Darry. “ If that’s 
the case we ought to stop him.” 

“ Wait, here is another paper I missed,” said the 
professor. “ Perhaps this will throw more light on 
the mystery.” And he began to peruse the sheet as 
rapidly as the flickering light of the camp-fire 
allowed. 


CHAPTER XXIX 


STRANGE VISITORS AT MIDNIGHT 

The last sheet Amos Strong had picked up was 
a memorandum written in Portuguese, which, as 
many of my young readers perhaps know, is a sister 
language to Spanish. The professor understood 
Spanish fairly well, but the reading of the Portu- 
guese was difficult for him, consequently it took 
him some time to master the contents of the 
paper. 

“Well, what do you make of it, professor?” 
asked Mark impatiently. 

“ Here are a few statements and figures con- 
cerning the rubber plant,” was the slow reply. 
“ The paper speaks of the reduction factory, the 
tools, a dock on the river, some boats, and other 
things, amounting to about thirty thousand dollars 

in our money. There is also Hullo, this is 

new ! ” 

He had turned the paper over and was now trying 
295 


296 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


to decipher some lines written in lead pencil. 
“ Mark, here is something that will interest you. 
The name of Jefferson Beldon is here.” 

“ The planter from Olinda ? ” 

“ Yes, and from what is said I should imagine 
that Costavo & Company are going to try to sell 
the rubber plant to Mr. Beldon.” 

“ Well, Mr. Beldon had better keep his eyes open 
or he’ll get stuck,” came bluntly from Frank. “ I 
wouldn’t trust that Portuguese.” 

“ Especially if he and Dan Markel are in part- 
nership,” put in Sam. 

“ If they are going to try to sell the plant to 
Mr. Beldon I suppose that gentleman will soon be 
up in this vicinity,” said Jake. “ Do you think he’ll 
bring his family with him ? ” 

“ Perhaps,” answered Mark. “ If they come, I 
hope they don’t fall in with Markel,” he added. 

“ Somebody will be put out when he learns these 
papers are missing,” remarked Frank. 

“ And that somebody will be more put out when 
it is learned that we have them,” came from Darry, 
with a grin. 

All the while this talk was in progress Wild 
Horse was watching them anxiously. 


STRANGE VISITORS AT MIDNIGHT 297 

“ Wild Horse want to know if dem worth much, ,, 
said Owl Head, at last. 

“ I don’t know,” answered Professor Strong. 

“ Offer him five dollars for ’em,” came from 
Mark. “ Perhaps they’ll be worth more to Cos- 
tavo, — or Mr. Beldon.” 

The offer was made and promptly accepted, and 
then Amos Strong put the documents in one of his 
boxes for safe keeping. 

“ How far is that rubber plant from here ? ” ques- 
tioned Mark later on. 

“ I cannot say exactly, Mark; probably twenty- 
five or thirty miles.” 

“ Don’t you think it would be a good plan to 
move to that neighborhood ? ” 

“ Yes, we can start to-morrow.” 

The night proved an unusually hot one, and the 
young explorers were glad to swing their hammocks 
where they could get some of the breeze that was 
blowing over the river. Mark had his resting place 
almost over the water and Sam was but a few feet 
away. The others were in a group some yards off. 
The Indians remained near the camp-fire. 

During the day the fierce heat of the sun had 
given Mark a headache and his head still pained 


298 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

him when he retired. He dropped into a troubled 
doze only to awaken an hour or so later with a 
head that hurt him worse than ever. 

“ Gracious ! I haven’t had such a headache since I 
left home ! ” he muttered to himself as he brushed 
his forehead. “ This is simply awful. It must 
have been the glare of the sun on the water that 
did it.” 

He lay there suffering for several minutes and 
then decided to get a towel, wet it in the stream, and 
tie that over his throbbing temples. He slipped out 
of his hammock without making any noise. A 
towel hung on a bush near the fire drying, and he 
walked slowly toward this. 

He was yet a dozen feet from the bush when 
something caught his eye and brought him to a 
halt. In the midst of the twigs he had seen a pair 
of eyes glaring intently at the fire. 

“ A wild animal ! ” was his thought, and a second 
look proved the truth of this. A beast of some sort 
was there, gazing at the fire and the sleeping In- 
dians around it. The beast did not appear to notice 
him and he lost no time in slipping behind a tree 
and out of sight. 

“ That animal is going to attack us,” he told him- 


STRANGE VISITORS AT MIDNIGHT 299 

self, and was on the point of setting up a shout of 
alarm. But he checked himself and reached for his 
rifle instead. Why not lay the beast low ? It would 
be a great feather in his cap to do it. 

All thoughts of his headache were now gone — 
indeed, the shock of his discovery seemed to make 
the ache cease entirely. Rifle in hand he stole for- 
ward once more. The glaring eyes were still there, 
but the beast was drawing further back into the 
brushwood. 

Crack! the sharp report of the firearm caused 
everybody in the camp to leap up in alarm. Mark 
had taken hasty aim and fired. There was a snarl 
of rage from the brushwood and then the beast dis- 
appeared. 

“What is it, Mark?” demanded the professor, 
as he caught up his gun. 

“ I don't know — some sort of an animal. It's 
over in yonder bushes.” 

By this time the others had their firearms, and 
the Indians had caught up their bows and arrows 
and their clubs. All wanted to know what was 
wrong. 

“ Wild beast smell the capybara,” said Owl 
Head. “ Smell blood long way,” and he pointed 


300 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


to where one of the animals had been hung up in a 
near-by tree. 

“ Did you hit the animal? ” asked Frank. 

“ I think I did,” answered Mark. “ Anyway, it 
let out a snarl right after I fired.” 

“ Then you didn’t kill it,” said Jake uneasily. 
" Maybe it will come back.” 

The Indians were stirring up the fire. From 
this Amos Strong selected a brightly burning brand 
and made a search of the brushwood, the young ex- 
plorers following him. With the crowd went Owl 
Head, who examined the ground with great in- 
terest. Presently the Indian found some fresh ani- 
mal tracks and he called The Monkey over to him 
to investigate. 

“ The Monkey know all feet,” he explained. 
" Know feet in dirt, too.” 

The Indian mentioned took a fire-brand and bent 
down with his nose almost on the ground. Half a 
dozen footprints were examined and The Monkey 
even smelt of some of them. Then he arose and 
nodded his head to Owl Head. 

“ Juar or a knuori poka,” said The Monkey. 

“ All right,” murmured Frank. “ I’m glad you 
told us.” 


STRANGE VISITORS AT MIDNIGHT 


301 


“ The Monkey say him jaguar,” said Owl Head. 
“ Him hurt in back foot too.” 

“ A jaguar ! ” exclaimed Sam. “ Why that is the 
worst beast down here, isn’t it ? ” 

“ It is, Samuel,” replied the professor gravely. 
“ The jaguar, or onqa as some call it, is really an 
American tiger, although it is spotted and has 
some of the characteristics of a leopard. It is al- 
most as large as a tiger and probably as strong. It 
has been known to attack and carry off a small horse, 
and it readily attacks any other beast found in the 
jungle.” 

“ Will that jaguar come back, do you think?” 
questioned Darry. 

“ There is no telling. It was probably attracted, 
as the Indians say, by the smell of the capybara 
blood, for it is very fond of capybara meat. Unless 
Mark wounded it pretty severely we may see more 
of it before morning.” 

“ Then I’m not going to sleep again,” said Jake, 
and gave something of a shiver. 

“ One or two of us can stand guard. There is no 
use in all of us remaining awake.” 

The matter was talked over, and it was agreed 
that one white person and one Indian should remain 


302 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

on duty at a time, the guards to be changed every 
two hours. This was to be the set rule for every 
night in the future. 

After the excitement was over Mark found his 
headache returning. The professor gave him some 
powders for it, however, and these soon put him 
to sleep. 

The professor and The Monkey were the first to 
remain on guard. Nothing came to disturb them, 
and at the proper time they were relieved by Sam 
and Flatfoot. 

“ Don’t run any risks,” said the professor to the 
youth from Boston, before turning in again. “ If 
you notice anything unusual give the alarm at 
once.” 

“ I will, sir,” answered Sam. 

It must be confessed that Sam felt exceedingly 
sleepy, and after the camp had quieted down once 
more it was all he could do to keep awake. 

“ I’ll have to walk around; that is all there is to 
it,” he told himself, and began to tramp back and 
forth past the fire and in the direction of the river. 
In the meanwhile Flatfoot sat on a fallen tree, 
smoking a pipe of red clay with a long reed stem. 
As neither could understand the language of the 


STRANGE VISITORS AT MIDNIGHT 


303 


other they could not even converse to relieve the 
monotony. 

An hour thus dragged itself by — a time that to 
Sam seemed an age. The fire began to die down once 
more, but neither the Indian nor the boy thought to 
stir it up, for the brighter the glare the more trouble- 
some became the mosquitoes and gnats that had 
bothered them ever since the journey up the river 
had been undertaken. 

Thinking that a good washing up would help 
to keep him awake, Sam turned again to the river, 
and finding an inlet where he could reach the water 
with ease he bent down and began to dabble into 
it up to his elbows. Then he put some of the 
water on his face and over his neck. _ 

He was thus engaged when a slight noise but a 
few feet away caused him to turn and stare in that 
direction. But all was dark and he cduld see 
nothing but the dim outlines of the trees, bushes, 
and vines. 

“ I must be getting nervous/’ was his mental 
comment. “ Perhaps it was only the wind — or a 
night bird fluttering through the trees.” 

He turned again to the water, but just as his 
hand went down he heard the noise once more. 


304 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

This time there was no mistake about it and he 
leaped for his gun, which rested against a rock. As 
he caught up the weapon he happened to glance 
along the branch of a tree and now caught sight of 
a pair of large eyes, blinking and glaring at him. 


CHAPTER XXX 


AN OWL AND A TURTLE 

As my old readers know, Sam was not naturally 
a timid youth. He had been placed in more than 
one position of peril and come out with considerable 
credit for his coolness and bravery. He was not im- 
pulsive and when he did a thing he usually had a 
good reason for his action. 

But now he was taken completely off his guard, 
and the eyes that blinked and stared at him in such 
a weird manner caused him to stumble backward in 
a great hurry. In doing this his foot caught on a 
tree root and he went sprawling flat. His gun 
went off, but the charge tore through the tree 
branches without doing any further damage. 

“ The jaguar! The jaguar! ” he yelled, as soon 
as he could catch his breath. 

By this time the Indian near the fire was running 
toward him. Flatfoot had his bow and arrow 
ready, and on the instant came a sharp ping of the 


305 


30 6 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

bow-string and the arrow went sailing straight for 
one of the eyes above the tree branch. 

“What is it? Have you shot the jaguar ?” 
queried Amos Strong, and again he leaped up and 
took hold of his firearm. 

“ I — I don’t know,” gasped Sam. “ He’s up 
there. The Indian shot at him.” 

Again the whole party, Indians as well as whites, 
was aroused and all crowded to the spot, Jake 
bringing up the rear. 

“ Look out ! ” yelled the tall youth. “ He may 
leap down on some of us! ” 

The eyes had now disappeared, and the crowd 
came to a halt at a respectable distance. Flatfoot 
was questioned and said he did not think it was a 
jaguar or any four-footed beast. What it was he 
could not tell, as the light on the eyes had not 
been of the best, but he hazarded a guess that it 
was an owl. 

“ An owl ! ” cried Sam. “ Do you mean to tell 
me those awful eyes belonged to an owl ? ” 

“ He may be right,” answered Amos Strong. 
“ As you know, owls are numerous throughout 
Brazil, and some of the varieties have eyes that, 
in the dark ? are enough to scare anybody,” 


AN OWL AND A TURTLE 


30 ; 


The Indians had begun to walk around the tree, 
each with a fire-brand in his hand. They could see 
nothing of any animal, and a brand flung up into 
the branches brought forth no commotion. Then 
The Monkey began to climb up, a well-lighted 
brand in his teeth. Soon he set up a shout, and the 
next moment sent to the ground a big owl, with 
Flatfoot’s arrow sticking directly through its 
head. 

“There’s your jaguar, Sam!” cried Mark. 

“ Well, I never ! ” murmured the boy from Bos- 
ton. And then he added : “ Perhaps that’s the so- 
called beast you saw in the bushes.” 

“ No, I don’t think it’s the same,” said Professor 
Strong. “You must remember the Indians saw the 
tracks of that beast, and so did L” 

Even the Indians were inclined to smile at 
Sam’s fright, and the youth was very much 
chagrined. But Mark told him to take it in good 
part. 

“ I would have tried to retreat myself,” said the 
older youth. “ To be attacked by a jaguar would 
be no fun.” 

After that nothing more came to disturb them 
during the night. At sunrise the camp was again 


308 young explorers of the amazon 

astir, and after a hot breakfast the journey along 
the river was once more resumed. 

Tp some the trip might have appeared monoto- 
nous, but it was not so to the young explorers. 
They realized that they were getting deeper and 
deeper into the wilds of Brazil and at every step 
there was something new and interesting. Strange 
trees and still stranger bushes and vines claimed 
their attention. Some trees were immense in thick- 
ness while others challenged their admiration because 
of their enormous height. Some trees had hun- 
dreds of branches, many only four or five feet from 
the ground, while others shot up into the air 
seventy-five and a hundred feet before a single limb 
appeared. Once they came to a spot where the 
vines interlacing formed a bridge from one clump 
of trees to another, a distance of several yards. The 
bridge was alive with monkeys, swinging and chat- 
tering as if they thoroughly enjoyed it. Below 
the vines, basking in the sun, were several enormous 
alligators, that quickly slid out of sight into the mud 
and water as the canoe came closer. 

“ I reckon those alligators were waiting for some 
of the monkeys to drop,” observed Darry. 

“ Yes, and the monkeys were teasing the ’ga- 



Around came the creature’s tail and hit the canoe’s 

side. — Page 309. 





AN OWL AND A TURTLE 


309 


tors into thinking they might drop,” replied 
Frank. 

Once there came a scare that startled everybody 
on board and made even the Indians hustle to save 
themselves from going overboard and being de- 
voured. The canoe was being borne along swiftly 
when directly in the course of the craft appeared a 
large alligator, coming up from under the surface 
of the Amazon. Before either beast or boat could 
get out of the way the craft struck the alligator 
midway of the back and slid up fully a foot into the 
air. Then around came the creature’s tail and hit 
the canoe’s side a blow that came close to smashing 
the framework. One of the Indians’ two paddles 
was knocked overboard and the red man himself 
pitched headlong on top of Darry. 

“An alligator!” screamed Frank. “Look out, 
everybody ! ” 

“We are going overboard ! ” came from Sam, 
but in a moment more the canoe righted itself and 
the alligator slid from sight whence it had come. 

“ Well, that was a narrow shave ! ” declared 
Mark, after the confusion had subsided. “Just 
think of what would have happened had the boat 
gone over ! ” 


310 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ That alligator would have had a first- class 
feast,” put in Jake. “ I’ll tell you what, traveling 
on this river isn’t as safe as it appears to be,” and he 
shook his head decidedly. 

The next day proved that the rainy season was 
not yet at an end. A downpour started about noon, 
while they were still six miles from where the rub- 
ber plant was said to be located, and it came down 
so furiously that the whole party was glad enough 
to seek any shelter that the vicinity afforded. For- 
tunately there was but little thunder and light- 
ning, for which the young explorers were truly 
thankful. 

“ That storm we had while we were at the hotel 
cooked me,” was Frank’s comment. “ I want no 
more such.” 

A short distance back from the river was a rise 
of ground where were located a series of rough 
rocks. Among the rocks grew a clump of short 
trees with immense sprawling roots, and between 
the roots and the rocks they found a shelter that 
just suited them. There was an opening at least 
twelve feet in height and thirty or forty feet in 
diameter, the great roots sticking downward here 
and there like some quaintly twisted pillars. The 


AN OWL AND A TURTLE 31 1 

flooring was hard and sloped toward the stream, so 
the rain ran off without touching them. 

“ This would make quite a camping spot if we 
were certain there were no snakes around,” re- 
marked Sam, after a fire had been built and some of 
their stores had been brought up from the canoe. 
“ Spread a canvas on the upper side of those roots 
and not a drop of water would come down here.” 

“ Do you think there are any snakes, professor ? ” 
asked Darry. 

“ There is no telling. We can take a look 
around.” 

All, including the Indians, did so, but nothing 
in the shape of a reptile was brought to light. Then 
The Monkey told them, through Owl Head, that 
snakes were rarely found around a bamlaca , as he 
called the tree, on account of the peculiar odor of 
the bark, which smelt strongly of turpentine. 

The storm kept up for the rest of the day and all 
of the night. The travelers were tired out and 
those not on guard spent most of their time in 
sleeping. 

By noon of the next day it had cleared. The sun, 
shining brightly, caused a rapid evaporation that 
filled the forest with a vapor that was almost over- 


312 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

powering. The birds and monkeys, which had been 
silent, burst into song and chatter, punctuated ever 
and anon with the discordant noises of the macaws 
and parrots. At a distance they also heard a 
strange barking, that the Indians said came from 
the red foxes of that locality. 

Because of the storm the Indians were anxious to 
do some fishing along the river shore and so the 
journey was still further delayed, the boys joining 
in the sport, and with excellent result; they soon 
having sixteen fish to their credit and hardly any 
that weighed less than a pound. 

“ This beats fishing at home,” remarked Darry. 
“ I never had so many bites in my life.” 

The fishing had almost come to an end when the 
Indians said they were going to try for a turtle, 
The Monkey having seen traces of one a little dis- 
tance up the river bank. A stout cord was pro- 
cured, to which was tied a small double pointed 
stick. This stick was carefully covered with fresh 
meat, and the bait was dropped into the river close 
to where The Monkey supposed the turtle might 
be. 

For several minutes the bait remained undis- 
turbed and then came a faint nibble followed by 


AN OWL AND A TURTLE 


313 


another. But the Indian did not move the line in 
the least. A full minute passed and at last came a 
tug that caused The Monkey to brace himself and 
yell to his companions. Flatfoot came running up, 
and both hauled in on the line with vigor. 

“ They’ve got something, that’s certain,” said 
Frank, who, with the rest, was watching the proc- 
ess with deep interest. 

Presently appeared the head and neck of a big 
turtle and then the shell. He was fighting desper- 
ately to get away. But he had swallowed the bait 
and the sharp-pointed stick was now crosswise of 
his stomach. He took a firm hold of the river bank 
and from that point refused to budge. 

“ There’s a tug of war for you ! ” cried Mark. 
“ But I’ll wager the Indians win out.” 

Owl Head and Wild Horse were now at hand and 
the leader drew his sharp hunting knife, intending to 
cut the neck of the turtle. But as he made the 
pass the turtle drew up his shell, and neck and head 
disappeared with the rapidity of lightning. 

Wild Horse now seized a paddle and with this 
pried up the rear end of the turtle. The prey 
kicked wildly, but could do nothing at this end. 
Then the paddle was placed under him, and in a 


314 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

twinkling the turtle was turned over on his back, 
and the Indians set up a shout of victory. 

“ They’ve got him now — he’s as helpless as a 
baby on his back,” said Jake. What the tall youth 
said was true, and now the Indians drew their prize 
still further up the bank, and proceeded to kill it at 
their leisure. The turtle measured two feet across 
the shell and was three feet long. 

“ Now we can have turtle soup ! ” cried Sam. 
“ Talk about living high ! We’ll be regular epicures 
before long.” 

As it would take some time to dress the turtle 
the professor decided to leave the camp in charge 
of the Indians and put in a few hours at hunting. 
The boys were more than willing to go, and soon the 
whole party started. Nobody dreamed of the stir- 
ring adventure that awaited them in the forest, or 
of the surprise in store for them upon their return. 


CHAPTER XXXI 


THE FIGHT WITH THE JAGUAR 

Among the trees it was still wet, but in the midst 
of the jungle there was a sort .of trail, or opening, 
leading up to a slight rise of ground. Along this 
opening they took their way, the professor in ad- 
vance and Sam and Mark bringing up the rear. 
Two of the party were armed with rifles, Amos 
Strong and Frank, and the others carried shot-guns. 
In addition, each had a pistol or a knife, and Mark 
and Sam carried game-bags filled with things to eat, 
in case the hunt should prove unsuccessful and they 
should find themselves unable to get back to camp 
by the next meal time. 

“ I hope we find something worth shooting,” re- 
marked Darry, as he stepped along close behind the 
professor. “ I hate to go on a wild-goose chase.” 

“ Well a wild goose-chase is a good chase when 
you are after wild geese, Dartworth,” answered the 
professor dryly. “ But I know what you mean, 
315 


316 young explorers of the amazon 

and I agree with you,” he added. “ It is like going 
fishing without catching.” 

The top of the rise was reached in a quarter of an 
hour and they gathered to take a look at the sur- 
roundings. As far as the eye could reach the forest 
extended, broken only by the mighty Amazon and a 
small stream flowing into it. Some distance back 
from the Amazon the smaller stream formed a lake, 
or lagoon, and here were rich grass and some tender 
young trees. 

“ We will make our way to yonder lake,” an- 
nounced Amos Strong. “ A spot like that is gener- 
ally an attractive one for a large number of wild 
animals. The smaller beasts go there to feed on 
the grass and the shoots of the young trees, and the 
larger ones go to hunt down the others.” 

Getting over to the sheet of water was not so 
easy. There was nothing in the shape of a path, 
and at certain points the underbrush and vines made 
progress all but impossible. In the midst of the 
thicket they had to draw their hunting knives and 
literally cut their way through. 

“ This won’t last,” said Amos Strong. “ We 
shall soon reach a bend of that creek and then we can 
follow to the lake.” 


THE FIGHT WITH THE JAGUAR 3 1 7 

“ Hark ! ” cried Sam, presently. “ What an odd 
noise ! ” 

“ That is nothing but a Brazilian woodpecker,” 
answered the professor. “ They tap the trees here 
just as they do in our own country.” 

As they neared the small stream the professor 
cautioned them to move slower and keep their eyes 
and ears open for game. This they did, and a min- 
ute later Darry caught sight of some animal rest- 
ing on a tree limb not fifty feet away. 

“ Hullo ! there is something ! ” he whispered, and 
without further words raised his weapon and blazed 
away. As the shot echoed through the forest the 
animal gave a leap into the air and then fell to the 
ground, turning and twisting and clawing the tree 
roots in its death agony. 

“ Wait, I’ll give it another shot ! ” came from 
Jake, and he too blazed away, and then the beast 
stretched itself out and lay still. 

When they drew closer they saw that it was about 
the size of a large cat, but with a fuller head, and a 
tail twice as long and thick in proportion. It was 
dun-colored, with a ridge of black on its back, and 
its claws were long and sharp. 

“ That is a kinkajou, or potto,” said the profes- 


3 1 8 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

sor, after an examination. “ By some of the Bra- 
zilians they are called honey bears, for with their 
tongues, which are usually long, they lick out the 
honey from every beehive they can find. The tail, 
which you can see is somewhat worn at the end, is 
used like an arm, to bring things out of holes and 
cracks.” 

“ Are they very fierce? ” asked Frank. 

“ I imagine you would find this animal about as 
bad as a wild-cat in a hand-to-hand fight, Frank. 
But the kinkajou can be tamed, and in some parts 
of the country the folks make household pets of 
them.” 

“ What about the meat ? ” questioned Jake. 

“ I cannot say much about it, for I never ate it. 
We’ll ask the Indians about it.” 

Darry was quite proud of his haul, and with good 
reason. He shouldered it in triumph, and once more 
they went on their way. As they came in full view 
of the small stream the professor raised his hand as 
a signal to halt. 

“ Something is down there, moving in the grass,” 
he whispered. “ I can’t make out what it is. Wait 
here while I investigate.” 

They dropped behind some bushes and waited. 


THE FIGHT WITH THE JAGUAR 3 19 

Only the distant chattering of some monkeys broke 
the stillness, for the woodpecker had now ceased 
his tree tapping. The opening was filled with vapor, 
so to see anything at a distance distinctly was by no 
means easy. 

The professor was gone several minutes when 
he came back and gathered the others around 
him. 

“ Make no noise and I will show you a sight 
worth seeing,” he whispered. “ Hold yourselves 
ready to shoot when I give the signal.” 

Wondering what was coming next the young ex- 
plorers followed their instructor through the tall 
grass and up to a position behind some sprawling 
tree roots. Here they could obtain a fair view of the 
little stream and also the muddy bank, now torn up 
in several places. 

The sight that met their gaze was certainly an 
extraordinary one. A dozen feet from the water’s 
edge lay a half-grown alligator, bleeding from sev- 
eral wounds in the neck and back. Crouched close 
to the animal’s tail was a large beast of the tiger 
variety, with gleaming eyes and a tail that swayed 
slowly from side to side. This beast had a wounded 
paw and a left ear that was bleeding. 


320 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ It’s a jaguar,” whispered Amos Strong to Mark. 
“ I think the same that you wounded.” 

“But what are he and the alligator doing?” 
questioned the youth addressed. 

“ It’s a fight between them, and the jaguar has 
the better of it.” 

The professor had scarcely spoken when with a 
quick swish of the tail the alligator turned and made 
a snap at the jaguar. But though the saurian was 
quick, the jaguar was quicker and leaped back out 
of the way. Then the alligator turned to enter the 
water. 

It was now the jaguar's chance to attack, and 
with a snarl it landed straight on its opponent’s 
back and made a clutch at the scaly neck. There 
was a cracking of bone and muscle and the alliga- 
tor squirmed and twisted and then lay still. Seeing 
this the jaguar jumped back and resumed the po- 
sition it had occupied when first discovered. 

“ Is the alligator dead ? ” whispered Mark. 

“ I think not.” 

Fully a minute passed and the jaguar crouched 
low, watching the alligator as a cat watches a 
mouse. Then came another turn from the saurian, 
another leap to safety by the beast of the jungle, 


THE FIGHT WITH THE JAGUAR 321 

and then the same fierce attack on the alligator’s 
neck. This attack was followed by a clawing at 
the alligator’s eyes, one of which was dislodged from 
its socket. 

“ This is enough to make a fellow sick,” declared 
Mark, and turned away for a moment. “ Let’s 
shoot the jaguar, and the alligator, too.” 

“ Very well,” answered the professor. “ Which 
do you want to aim at? ” 

All of the young explorers wanted to kill the 
jaguar, so Amos Strong said he would fire on the 
alligator. With caution they changed their posi- 
tions, so as to get the best aim. As they were set- 
tling into place a large bird flew directly over their 
heads. 

Everybody’s nerves were at strong tension and 
the passage of the bird made several of the youths 
jump. This created considerable noise and in quick 
alarm the jaguar turned. Seeing the hunters, it 
forgot all about its enemy, the alligator, and faced 
the new peril. The saurian saw the move and with 
a quick scramble reached the water, dropped in with 
a loud splash, and disappeared from view. 

Crack! it was the professor’s rifle that rang out. 
Bang ! went Sam’s shot-gun immediately afterward, 


322 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

and the jaguar leaped high in the air and then 
darted behind some rocks. It was badly, but by no 
means mortally, wounded. Its gleaming eyes shone 
like balls of fire, and it looked angry enough to 
strike terror to the heart of any hunter. 

“ He is coming for us ! ” shrieked Jake, and dis- 
charged his gun. His aim was a trifle low and only 
a few of the shot penetrated the wild beast’s 
paw. The animal paused only an instant, then 
leaped straight for Mark. 

It was a fearful attack and the youth went 
headlong, discharging his gun directly into the 
foot of the jaguar. The beast clutched the gun 
barrel and Mark did his best to hold it at^arm’s 
length. 

The only one of the boys who had remained cool 
was Frank. His rifle was at his shoulder, but so far 
he had not pulled the trigger, for he was in no posi- 
tion to shoot to advantage. Now the boy was right 
in range, and taking aim at one of those gleaming 
eyes he fired. 

It was the shot that told, and the echo had not 
yet died away when the jaguar fell back in a limp 
mass on the long grass. There was not even a death 
struggle, although the others thought there might 


THE FIGHT WITH THE JAGUAR 323 

be, and Darry made a sure thing of it by running up 
and giving the beast a charge of shot in the side. 

“ What a fearful beast to fight ! ” gasped Jake, 
when he could speak. “ I — I thought sure he was 
going to eat me up ! ” 

“ Wonder if he is dead or only playing ’possum,” 
came from Sam, anxiously. 

The professor ran closer, knife in hand. “ He is 
perfectly dead,” he said after an examination. 

Now that they were sure this monarch of the Bra- 
zilian jungle was really dead, they examined the 
body with interest. It was nearly five feet in length 
and covered with a light skin, thickly sprinkled with 
rosettes, or spots having one or two smaller spots 
within. The tail was short and strong, and the feet 
were well developed. The head was like that of a 
tiger with the long side hair missing. From the 
head to a short distance down the tail was a black- 
ish mark, or series of long dashes, and these marks 
also covered the breast. 

“ I’ll tell you what, he must have been a powerful 
beast,” observed Mark. 

“ Here is where Mark shot him,” said Amos 
Strong, pointing to the wounded paw. “ That 
wound would have driven many a wild beast to its 


324 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 


den, but it didn’t stop the jaguar from attacking the 
alligator.” 

“ Perhaps he was good and hungry,” came from 
Frank. 

“ That skin ought to make a good robe,” said 
Jake. 

“ Properly tanned it will, Jacob, and such a skin 
is worth, at Para, twenty or thirty dollars.” 

It was decided to hang the game up in a tree, 
along with the kinkajou Darry had shot, and later 
on send the Indians around in the boat after the 
prizes. This settled on, it did not take long to 
swing the two animals on high, and then the jour- 
ney toward the lake was continued. 

“ I am afraid that our shooting has scared away 
all the other game,” said Amos Strong, and so, to a 
great extent, it proved. They brought down a few 
birds, and Jake stirred up a wild hog and laid it 
low, but that was all. 

“ Never mind, a jaguar is sport enough for all,” 
said Professor Strong. “ Any hunter would feel 
very proud of such a showing.” 

An hour later found them on the way to the 
camp. All were tired out by the tramp taken and 
progress was consequently slow. 


The fight with the jaguar 325 

“ Listen,” said Sam, when they were almost in 
view of where they had left the Indians. “ Am I 
mistaken, or do I hear somebody talking in 
English?” 

“ You are not mistaken,” answered Mark, after a 
pause. “ That is somebody talking English, and 
it isn’t Owl Head or Flatfoot either.” 

“ I think I know that voice! ” exclaimed Jake, in 
strong excitement. “ I’ll wager a new suit of 
clothes it is Dan Markel who is speaking ! ” 


CHAPTER XXXII 


AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 

“ If it is Dan Markel, who is with him ? ” came 
from Darry, after another pause, during which they 
heard the newcomers talking in a rather excited 
manner. 

“ That remains to be found out,” answered Mark. 
“ Let us get close enough to hear without showing 
ourselves. We may learn something to our ad- 
vantage.” 

All, even to Professor Strong, were willing to 
do this, for they considered Markel nothing more 
than a rascal who needed watching. They moved 
forward and took station at a spot that was not a 
dozen feet away from the newcomers. 

Peering forth through the bushes they beheld the 
man from Baltimore talking in English to Barnabe 
Costavo and two other men, evidently Brazilians. 
The discussion was an animated one and had evi- 
dently reached its climax. 

326 


AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 32 ? 

“ That's what I say and that is what I stick to,” 
came from Dan Markel angrily. “ It was your 
fault that the papers were lost and it will be your 
fault if Professor Strong and his crowd cause us 
any trouble.” 

“ You should have picked the papers up — it was 
not right to leave them lie,” answered Barnabe Cos- 
tavo. “ If there is trouble it will be your fault, not 
mine.” 

“ Where are the papers now, did you say?” de- 
manded Markel, turning to Owl Head. 

The Indian shrugged his shoulders. He knew 
they were in the professor’s box, but did not care to 
say so. 

“ I say, where are they?” roared the man from 
Baltimore. “ I want no fooling about this. Those 
papers belong to us — Professor Strong has no right 
to hold them.” 

Wild Horse was listening intently to the talk, try- 
ing to make out what was said. Now he addressed 
Barnabe Costavo in a few words of broken Portu- 
guese and learned that the papers were wanted. 

“ What give for them ? ” he questioned. 

“ Oh, we will be sure to pay you handsomely,” 
said the Portuguese. 


328 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

At once Wild Horse felt sorry that he had let the 
professor have the documents. The professor had 
promised him five dollars. Perhaps these whites 
would give more. He asked if ten dollars would be 
given for the papers and Costavo said yes. Then 
White Horse took the Portuguese to where the box 
stood, covered with a square of canvas. 

“ In there,” he said, in his Indian dialect, and 
pointed to the box. 

“ Are the papers in there ? ” questioned Markel, 
and drawing some papers from his pocket he 
pointed first to them and then to the box, and Wild 
Horse nodded. 

“ The box is locked,” said Costavo. “ To break 
it open will be ” 

“ I don’t care what it is,” interrupted Dan 
Markel. “ I’m going to have those documents and 
that is all there is to it.” 

“ Is it, Markel ? ” demanded Amos Strong, and 
came out into the opening. “ I’ll thank you to let 
that box alone.” 

The professor carried his rifle across his forearm 
and the man from Baltimore leaped back in dismay. 
Costavo was also surprised, and so were the men 
with him. All looked uneasily, first at Amps 


AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 329 

Strong, and then at the armed youths behind 
him. 

“ I guess you didn’t expect to meet us quite so 
soon, did you, Markel?” questioned Jake, with a 
grin. 

“ Of course I expected to meet you,” blustered 
the man from Baltimore. “ I came here to get 
something belonging to me.” 

“ Where did you leave your friend J. Langnack 
Green ? ” came from Darry. “ The last time we 
saw him he was looking all over for you.” 

“ I don’t know anybody by the name of 
Green.” 

“ Don’t you?” put in Frank. “ Then if you 
don’t perhaps a man by the name of James Haver- 
lock does. You can change your name easier than a 
leopard can his spots, can’t you ? ” 

“ See here, I want none of your fooling,” 
growled Markel, growing red. “ I’ve had enough 
of this whole crowd in the past. But I do want 
some papers belonging to me and Senor Costavo 
there,” he added doggedly. 

“ Markel, perhaps we had better talk matters 
over,” said Amos Strong, in a calm but firm tone. 
“ You cannot humbug me and you’ll waste your 


330 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

breath trying. I understand you thoroughly, and 
you’ll get nothing from me until you are willing to 
do what is fair and square.” 

“ You have some papers ” 

“ And I shall keep them for the present.” 

“ They are not yours.” 

“ That is true.” 

“ They belong to me.” 

“ Perhaps you’ll be able to get them from the au- 
thorities of the next town we stop at,” returned 
Amos Strong significantly. “ I can leave them 
there and also leave word concerning the owner.” 

“ Make him give up J. Langnack Green’s 
money,” put in Frank. 

“ I — I don’t know this man Green — or whatever 
his name is,” stammered the man from Baltimore, 
but now his face grew a trifle pale. 

“ We know better,” came from Jake. “ Markel, 
your game is up and you had better shell out. I 
don’t know how you got away from the authorities 
at Fort de France, Martinique, but you’re not going 
to get away so easily this time.” 

“ Evidently you have known Mr. Markel for 
some time,” said Barnabe Costavo to the professor, 
in Portuguese. 


AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 


331 


“ Yes, and we know he is a thorough rascal/’ an- 
swered Amos Strong briefly. “ He swindled that 
young man/’ pointing to Jake, “ and he has 
swindled many others. If you are honest I do not 
see how you can associate with him.” 

“ Ha! I am perfectly honest! ” growled Barnabe 
Costavo, but his manner did not substantiate his as- 
sertion. 

After this a long and angry discussion came close 
to ending in a hand-to-hand fight. Both Markel 
and Costavo wanted the papers in the box, and 
threatened all sort of things if they were not forth- 
coming. On the other side Amos Strong and the 
young explorers tried their best to make Markel 
give up the money that belonged to J. Langnack 
Green. 

In the midst of the talk one of the Indians, who 
had walked down to the river bank, set up a shout, 
which was quickly taken up by Owl Head. 

“ A steamer is coming down ! Do you want help 
from her? ” 

“ Yes ! yes ! ” cried Amos Strong. “ Stop that 
steamer by all means ! ” 

Two of the Indians immediately leaped into the 
canoe and began to paddle out into the stream to 


33 2 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

intercept the boat, which was coming down rapidly 
with the current. 

“ What are you going to do ? ” demanded Dan 
Market angrily. 

“ I'll show you in a little while,” answered Amos 
Strong. “ These steamers usually carry an officer 
or two on board.” 

“ Not much you won’t ! ” muttered the man from 
Baltimore. “ Come on, Costavo, come on ! ” And 
turning he rushed up the river bank, with Barnabe 
Costavo and the others of their party behind them. 

“ Stop them ! ” cried Jake, and moved to raise his 
gun, but the professor stopped him. 

“ We want no bloodshed here, Jacob. This is a 
matter for the officers of the law.” 

“ But they’ll get away ” 

“ I don’t think they’ll go any further than that 
rubber plant. I can spread the news concerning 
them by means of those on the steamer.” 

By the time the steamer had been stopped the 
other party was out of sight. The Indians hurried 
back and took the professor and Mark out in mid- 
stream, where the captain of the Buena Vista de- 
manded to know what was wanted. 

“ We have just parted with some rascals,” replied 


AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 


333 


Amos Strong, “ and we want to send word down to 
the nearest town about them. ,, 

He then told his story, making it as brief as he 
could. On hearing about the rubber plant the cap- 
tain of the steamer laughed heartily. 

“ That has been in the market for years/’ he said, 
in Spanish. “ Twice have they tried to sell it on 
the sly, but have failed. It was a visionary scheme 
in the first place and the plant is positively worthless. 
I know this for a fact, for a friend of mine once 
investigated it thoroughly. Your friend, Mr. Jef- 
ferson Beldon, had better look out for himself and 
his pocketbook.” 

The captain was quite willing to spread the news, 
and said he would also send word to J. Langnack 
Green and set the authorities on Dan Markel’s 
track. After a few words more the steamer and the 
canoe separated, and the professor and Mark re- 
turned to shore. 

As already mentioned, they had expected to push 
on without further delay, but now they changed 
their plans and determined to stay where they were 
and watch for the coming of some steamer up the 
river. 

“ The very next boat may bring Mr. Beldon up, 


334 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

and perhaps Green and some officers/’ said Amos 
Strong. “ If we push along we. may miss them.” 

The Indians were much astonished to learn that 
the hunters had brought down a full-grown jaguar 
and also a kinkajou, and they readily consented to 
go after the game. The only one that was sulky 
was Wild Horse, who was sorry he had not been 
able to turn the papers over to Barnabe Costavo, 
and thus get more money for them. But matters 
were explained to him through Owl Head, and then 
he became more cheerful and said he was glad that 
the papers were still in Professor Strong’s posses- 
sion. 

After dinner, the first thing that claimed the at- 
tention of the boys was the laying out of a regular 
camp and the erection of the tent that had been 
brought along. This took until nightfall, but when 
the task was completed they found themselves as 
cozy as any of them could wish. By that time the 
Indians came in with the game, and then wood was 
cut for a large camp-fire, and they tried some of the 
meat that their hunting had brought to them, find- 
ing the chops of the wild hog Jake had shot ex- 
ceedingly sweet and nutritious. The Indians also 
brought in some turtle soup and some fruits, and the 


AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 


335 


whole party enjoyed such a spread as they had not 
had since leaving civilization behind them. 

The two days that followed were given over en- 
tirely to hunting and fishing. During that time the 
young explorers brought down many birds and also 
an agouti, an animal larger than a rabbit and with 
many of the characteristics of a rat. This was 
found in a hollow by Frank, who chanced to stir 
the place with the butt of his gun. As the animal 
made a leap Frank fired and the agouti dropped 
dead before it could take another step. 

The young explorers also brought down a great 
number of squirrels, which proved delicious eating 
when made into a squirrel pot-pie. They thought 
they would get some nuts from the squirrel nests, but 
in this were mistaken. 

“ I guess Mr. Squirrel doesn’t have to store his 
nuts in Brazil,” said Sam. “ He doesn’t know 
what a hard, bleak winter is.” 

Sunday was passed quietly in camp, the profes- 
sor reading several chapters of the Bible to the boys 
and following it up with the reading aloud of a 
sermon from a volume he had purchased before 
leaving home. The Indians went fishing, and 
one of them, in the afternoon, showed the lads 


336 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

how to make a neat basket of rushes and heavy- 
grass. 

Monday noon there was great excitement among 
the red men, in which the young explorers speedily 
joined. A manatee had been seen by Flatfoot feed- 
ing on the grass of the river shore, some distance 
below the camp. The Indians made preparations to 
capture the creature, and the young explorers went 
along to see how the task would be accomplished. 

“ The manatee, or sea-cow, so called, is quite 
large,” said Professor Strong, “ growing to a 
length of six to seven feet. It has a round, heavy 
body and the tail of a fish. Its head is like that of 
a hippopotamus and a seal combined, and it has 
flippers like a seal. It feeds on grass and herbs, and 
is said to make good eating. They are fairly plenti- 
» ful near the mouth of the Amazon and of the Ori- 
noco, but they are rare up here. ,, 

Owl Head had supplied himself with a pole to 
which was attached a spear-head, and the other 
Indians had a large net fastened to several ropes. 
They made their way to where the manatee had 
been seen and then Owl Head climbed into a tree 
overlooking the water, while the others hid them- 
selves in the bushes. 


CHAPTER XXXIII 


END OF THE JOURNEY FAREWELL 

A good half-hour passed — to the anxious young 
explorers it seemed an age — and then Owl Head 
gave a low whistle, like that of a certain kind of 
bird. 

“ It is a sign that he has seen the sea-cow,” whis- 
pered Professor Strong. “ Now watch him.” 

The youths were at a point where they could see 
the Indian quite clearly. From a pouch he car- 
ried they beheld Owl Head throw down on the 
water some fine grass and bits of newly cut 
twigs. 

This bait, if such it may be called, was promptly 
seen by the sea-cow, and presently it came drifting 
in that direction and began to feed. 

Owl Head awaited his opportunity and just as 
the creature was directly beneath him he let drive 
with the harpoon, using all the strength at his com- 
mand. It sank deeply into the sea-cow’s side and 
337 


338 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

was followed immediately by a rush of blood that 
made the water crimson. 

“ J orawak! ” shouted Owl Head loudly. “He is 
caught ! ” And then he commanded the others to 
come up with the net. This they did with a rush, 
and as soon as the net had been lowered around the 
manatee they all pulled with might and main on 
both harpoon and net to haul the prize ashore. The 
boys helped on the ropes, and although the sea-cow 
thrashed lustily and sent great quantities of water 
over the crowd, they did not give up, and at last 
the creature lay helpless on the bank. Then The 
Monkey ran up and killed the sea-cow by forcing 
a sharp-pointed plug up its nostrils — the common 
way among all the Indians of accomplishing this 
end. 

“ Well, that certainly is a haul/’ observed Mark, 
as they looked the sea-cow over. “ I suppose such a 
creature is worth a good deal to the red men.” 

“ It certainly is, Mark. They love the meat, and 
the cow furnishes a good hide and considerable oil,” 
answered Amos Strong. 

After that two more days were passed in hunting 
and fishing. Small game of all sorts were laid low, 
and they seldom let a line drop into the stream but 


END OF THE JOURNEY FAREWELL 339 

that something was caught. Once Frank got a 
shot at a Brazilian deer, but the beautiful creature 
got away from him, Sam and Jake killed a rattle- 
snake fully six feet long, both shooting the reptile 
in the head, and of this exploit they were deservedly 
proud. 

“ I’ll tell you what,” declared Frank. “ This is 
just the best outing yet. We are having more fun 
than we did on the Orinoco.” 

“ And we are not getting lost either,” added 
Frank. 

If the boys were delighted, so was the professor. 
What pleased him more than anything was the fact 
that all his charges were on such good terms with 
each other. The change in Jake was certainly great 
and he sincerely trusted that the youth would con- 
tinue to control his temper and do his best to make 
a man of himself. 

Every day the river was watched for a vessel 
from Manaos, and one morning Owl Head gave out 
the glad tidings that such a craft was now in sight. 
At once the crowd got into the canoe and paddled 
out to meet the boat. 

“ Hurrah! ” shouted Mark. “ There is Mr. Bel- 
don and his family.” 


340 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

“ And there is J. Langnack Green,” put in Sam. 
“ I’ll wager he is after his money.” 

The steamer came to a stop, and after some talk- 
ing the Beldon family came ashore, followed by 
the dude and two quiet-looking Brazilians who 
proved to be officers of the law. 

“ Awfully glad to meet you again, don’t you 
know ! ” exclaimed J. Langnack Green. “ Came to 
have that beastly Markel arrested.” 

“ You’ll have to find him first,” said Sam. 

“ What a lovely spot for camping,” said Edith 
Beldon, and her sisters said the same. They made 
the boys take them around and show them the game 
brought down, and all spent some time playing with 
Parkie, who seemed delighted to make new friends. 

Jefferson Beldon listened to what Amos Strong 
had to tell with close attention. He asked many 
questions concerning Barnabe Costavo and his 
companions, and about Dan Markel, and at the 
conclusion looked exceedingly thoughtful. 

“ I think you have saved me from a very bad 
investment, professor,” he said. “ I have been in 
communication with Costavo since he was in Colon, 
and he wrote to me that he had an American with 
him at Manaos who could prove the value of the 


END OF THE JOURNEY FAREWELL 34 1 

rubber plant to me. Now it appears the whole 
thing is little short of a swindle.” 

“ I can only tell you what I know and what I 
have heard,” answered Amos Strong. “ You’ll 
have to use your own judgment about the real value 
of the plant.” 

“ Even if it was of value I shouldn’t wish to have 
any business dealings with such men as Costavo 
and Markel,” came from the old planter decidedly. 

Matters were talked over until noon, and it was 
decided that the whole party should move up toward 
the rubber plant. The officers were to go along, 
and to one of them Amos Strong turned over the 
documents claimed by Markel and Costavo. 

The captain of the steamer had loaned the Beldon 
party a boat, so it was an easy matter to make the 
journey. It was decided by the professor that his 
own party should not come back to the spot, but 
push on up the Amazon to the end of their tour. 
Accordingly the tent was taken down and every- 
thing stored for the trip. 

The professor and Jake went with Mr. Beldon, 
and two of the girls came into the craft occupied 
by Mark and his chums. This made the journey 
more than usually pleasant, and the boys were sorry 


342 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

when it came to an end, and they landed on 
the shore of a small stream flowing into the 
Amazon. 

“ The rubber plant is a quarter of a mile from 
here,” said one of the officers, after a consultation 
with Owl Head. “ We shall have to go over on 
foot.” 

The party to go was composed pf the officers, 
Jefferson Beldon, J. Langnack Green, the professor, 
and Mark and Sam, the others remaining behind 
to protect the girls and Mrs. Beldon. 

The route taken was no easy one to traverse, 
being through a jungle where the trail was thickly 
overgrown with vines and a short thorny bush that 
hurt at the least touch. 

“ Really, I was never in such a beastly place in 
my life,” observed the dude. “ Oh, dear, I am 
stuck in half a dozen places ! ” And he let out 
another yell as a thorn entered the fleshy part of his 
left leg. 

At last they reached a clearing, and not far away 
saw a row of low buildings which they knew must 
be part of the rubber plant. Some of the buildings 
were in a state of decay, but it was evident that con- 
siderable wprk had been done to fix them up. 


END OF THE JOURNEY FAREWELL 343 

“ They have been getting ready for you,” said 
the professor to Jefferson Beldon, with a smile. 

“ Well, they will find that they have had their 
labor for nothing,” replied the planter grimly. 

In one of the buildings a lively discussion was 
going on, and they recognized the voices of Dan 
Markel, Barnabe Costavo, and their companions. 

“ I don’t think he’ll come at all,” Markel was 
saying. “ If he was coming he’d be here before 
this.” 

“ That may be true,” answered Costavo. 
“ Still ” 

“ To tell the truth, I am getting afraid to stay 
here any longer,” went on the man from Baltimore. 
“ There is no telling what Strong and his crowd 
may take it into their heads to do.” 

“ What can he do — in such a place as this?” 
questioned the Portuguese. “ The law cannot do 
much in such a wilderness.” 

“ That sissy of a dude, Green, may take it into 
his head to come up.” 

“ How dare you ? ” bellowed J. Langnack Green 
wrathfully. “ Call me a sissy, will you ? Officer, 
arrest that man ! ” And running forward he 
caught Dan Markel by the arm. 


344 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Instantly there was a commotion, and the Brazil- 
ian officers of the law ran forward. While one 
caught hold of Markel the other confronted Cos- 
tavo. It looked as if there might be a struggle, but 
Costavo’s intimates would not fight, so the Portu- 
guese and the man from Baltimore had to sur- 
render. 

“ This is surely a fine manner in which to treat 
a gentleman,” said Barnabe Costa vo in his own 
language. 

“ If you are a gentleman you have nothing to 
fear from us,” answered one of the officers sig- 
nificantly. 

“ I want my money back ! ” ‘ cried J. Langnack 
Green to Markel. “ I want it back right away, you 
horrid fellow ! ” 

“ What money are you talking about? ” asked the 
man from Baltimore evasively. The sudden turn 
of affairs had bewildered him. 

“ You know well enough.” 

“ Markel, you might as well give up,” put in 
Sam. “ We know you of old, and your little 
game has come to an end.” 

“ You lent me some money,” said Markel to 
Green, craftily. “ I’ll pay you back just as I 


END OF THE JOURNEY FAREWELL 345 

promised. There’s nothing wrong about that, 
is there ? ” 

“ Let me see the money first,” answered the dude 
eagerly. His allowance was again running low 
and he was anxious to replenish it. 

“ There you are.” Dan Markel drew some silver 
and bills from his pocket. “ Every cent of it. Now 
I reckon we are square,” he muttered. 

The dude counted the money over. “ Yes, that 
is all right,” he said. He placed the money in his 
own pocket. “ Just the same, Mr. Haverlock, or 
Markel, or whatever your name is, I think you are 
a dishonest chap, don’t you know, and I never want 
you to speak to me again.” 

“ Don’t you worry — you’re too much of a sissy 
and a dude to bother with,” growled Markel in 
return. 

“If you’ve got so much money you had better 
settle some of your old scores with us,” said Mark. 
“ I think you owe Jake Hockley something.” 

“You can’t prove it!” roared the man from 
Baltimore. “ You can’t touch me here for what 
happened in other countries.” 

In the meantime Beldon, Costavo, and the officers 
had been having an interesting conversation. Cos- 


346 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

tavo and his friends were furious when they learned 
how Amos Strong had exposed them to Jefferson 
Beldon, and that the plan to sell the rubber plant at 
a great profit had fallen through. 

“ I shall not forget this — never ! ” cried Barnabe 
Costa vo to Amos Strong. “You crossed my path 
at Colon and now here. I shall remember you ! ” 
And he shook his hand savagely. 

“ I think I had better make charges against this 
fellow,” said Jefferson Beldon to the professor. “ I 
think I can put him where he won’t be able to harm 
you at least for a while.” 

“ I am not afraid of him,” returned Amos Strong 
briefly. 

The officers were willing enough to take Costavo 
in charge and did so. But they could not hold Cos- 
tavo’s intimates, nor did they see their way clear 
to holding Markel, now that he had restored Green’s 
money. 

“ It’s all right, let him go,” said the dude. “ I 
don’t want the beastly bother of appearing against 
him in court.” 

“ Having to give up the money is punishment 
enough for Markel,” put in Mark. “ By the looks 
of his pocketbook he hasn’t but a few dollars left, 


END OF THE JOURNEY FAREWELL 347 

and that won't last him long in such an out-of-the- 
way place as this.” 

The others agreed with the youth, and it was 
decided to let the man from Baltimore go his own 
way. He looked sour and gloomy when they were 
ready to depart and so did the men who had been 
Costavo’s followers. 

“ We’ll meet again some time,” said Markel to 
the young explorers. “ You’ve got the upper hand 
now, but you may not keep it.” 

“ We’ll be ready for you, if we ever do meet,” 
answered Sam, and that was the last said to the 
fellow. 

Half an hour later they moved back to where the 
boats had been left, the officers taking Costavo with 
them. The Portuguese begged for his liberty, but 
Jefferson Beldon would not listen. 

“ You made your own bed and now you can sleep 
in it,” said the old planter. “ If it hadn’t been for 
my friends here, buying your worthless rubber plant 
would have cost me thousands of dollars. I’ll fix it 
so you can’t work that worthless plant off on some- 
body else.” And in the end Jefferson Beldon kept 
fiis word. 

'“And that’s the end of that adventure,” said 


348 YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMAZON 

Mark later on. “ After all, everything turned out 
for the best.” 

“ Just as it should, when one is in the right,” re- 
plied Sam. 

“ I’m glad the affair is over,” came from Darry. 
“ Now we can hunt and fish and enjoy ourselves 
to our hearts’ content.” 

“ Right you are! ” cried Frank. “ And won’t we 
just have the best time ever was ! ” he said gleefully. 

Let me add a few words more and then bring to 
a close this tale of sightseeing and adventures in 
Brazil" and along the mighty Amazon. 

As soon as the boats were gained the whole party 
returned to the shore of the Amazon and went into 
a temporary camp, where the majority remained for 
eight days. 

During that time a steamer came along bound for 
Para, and the captain readily consented to take on 
board the Beldon family, Green, and the officers 
with Costavo. 

“ If ever you come our way again be sure and 
visit us,” said Jefferson Beldon to the professor 
and the boys. 

“ Yes, visit us by all means ! ” cried the girls. 


END OF THE JOURNEY FAREWELL 349 

and then, with a waving of handkerchiefs and hats, 
the two parties separated. 

“ Nice people,” was Frank’s comment. “ I wish 
the girls could have stayed longer.” 

“Frank’s smitten!” cried Darry, and then he 
added mischievously: “ Never mind, Frankie, dear, 
you’ll get over it in time. It’s like a dose of mumps, 
you know.” 

“ I’ll smite you ! ” exclaimed Frank, and chased 
Darry completely around the camp. 

“ I don’t blame Frank for liking them,” said 
Mark. “ They were just all right.” 

It had been decided by the professor to take a 
steamer bound up the river, and one day a craft 
came along which looked as if she might suit their 
purpose. The steamer was bound for Tabatinga, 
located where the Maranon River and the Javary 
unite to form the Amazon. 

“ Tabatinga is a town and military post, just 
this side of the boundary line between Brazil and 
Peru,” said the professor. “ It will make an ex- 
cellent stopping-place until we make up our minds 
where we want to go next.” 

“ Peru ! ” ejaculated Sam. “ Then we’ll have 
traveled completely across Brazil ! ” 


35 ° YOUNG EXPLORERS OF THE AMA20N 

“ Perhaps we can climb the Andes Mountains 
next,” came from Jake, who had not forgotten his 
desire to go there when on the Isthmus. 

“ To be sure,” put in Darry readily. “ And we 
can hunt for some of that gold, too, Jake.” 

“That settles it; we’re off!” cried Frank. 
“ Hope we have lots of fun and adventures where 
we go next.” His wish was fulfilled, as will be 
found in the next volume of this “ Pan-American 
Series,” in which we shall meet all our young 
friends again. 

The sail up the river to Tabatinga proved a de- 
lightful one. The weather was clear, and the 
young explorers spent most of the time on deck 
looking at the scenery. 

“ Tell you what,” said Mark, “ Brazil is a great 
country.” 

“ Yes, and the Amazon is a great river,” added 
Frank. “ I shall never forget this trip as long as 
I live.” 

“ None of us will,” came from Darry. 

And the others agreed with him. 


THE END 


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